


Chica...Nam

by BlackHunter666



Category: Biker Mice From Mars, Tour of Duty (1987)
Genre: Brotherhood under fire, Gen, Guarded Secrets, Hidden Warriors, M/M, Twisted Realities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 115,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3262310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily's back with her Martian companions, the 58 brave warriors of SAU 14. They've been on plenty of adventures together but this time they're facing an even bigger challenge. Blend in among the men fighting in Vietnam. Can they find their fit or will this be one war they can't handle?</p><p>WARNING: contains Extreme Violence, War Scenes, Foul Language and Adult Themes</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> For those who are interested in knowing more about my BMFM OCs, feel free to visit my DevArt page and take a look around - http://black-hunter-666.deviantart.com/gallery/31598492/SAU-14

Humming along with the retro tunes, Emily settled on one of the many couches scattered around the rec room and opened her book, going over tactics used in the past to great affect.  
'Hey Em, who's on the radio?' Crimson asked; racking up the pool balls as Killer leant against the wall comfortably.  
'They're having a blast from the past day. This came from the sixties, its Scott McKenzie's San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair).' Emily replied, looking up from her book.  
'Sounds alright but then, anything is better than the silence.' Killer remarked, taking down a cue and breaking, sending the balls in every direction.  
'Wasn't this popular around the time of the Vietnam war?' Slash asked, looking up from where he was giving Bonfire a back rub.  
'Right era but somehow I doubt that hippy song was popular with the soldiers. Things more like Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones was probably a better bet.' Emily shrugged, turning her focus back to her book and falling into the adventures of another team in that particular hell-hole.

Yawning wide a few minutes later, she put the book down and shuffled around until she was more comfortable.  
'keep the noise down guys, I'm gonna catch a few Z's.' she called, pulling the throw off the back and over her shoulders before drifting off to sleep, a faint smile on her face.


	2. The Arrival

Snapping awake, Emily bit back a surprised yelp as she looked around. SAU 14 lay in a wide gathering in the clearing, dressed in new outfits with M-16's to hand. Center Line and Choke were the exceptions there, lying with M-60's instead. Picking up her own rifle, Emily eased to a crouch and started moving, feeling the solid weight of her dogtags hanging around her neck.  
'Where are we? When are we? Got to find the answers so I can get us home.' she muttered, forcing her mind back onto the business at hand. Everyone was wearing jungle fatigues, helmets on their heads and dogtags instead of their medallions. Some of the guys even had simple brown leather holsters on their hips, pistols visible inside them. Full packs rested beside each mouse, grenades secured to their webbing and all the other necessities already included in their new kits.  
  
Slowly, the guys started stirring, lifting their heads and looking around in shock. Decal pointed at Magura and tried not to laugh upon seeing how short his hair was cut.  
'You can't talk Decal.' Magura chuckled, pointing right back. Decal's hands flew to his head; eyes blowing wide in horror as he felt how short his own hair was. Emily quickly lunged and wrapped her hand around his muzzle, silencing him quickly.  
'Shut up. Nobody make any loud noises. Check your weapons, make sure they're clean.' she hissed, releasing Decal slowly.  
'What's going on Em?' Blade asked, darting over to her side.  
'Keep low and don't keep moving. Sit down and stay there. Has anyone got a map?' Emily instructed, checking her gear quickly.  
'Yeah, I've got one. How is this supposed to help?' Slash nodded, handing over the leather map case and sitting back on his haunches.  
'Won't know until I've had a chance to look at this.' Emily replied, opening the map and studying the terrain carefully.  
  
Signalling for everyone to stay put, she moved across the clearing and gazed skywards, getting her bearings and turning the map so it was the right way up for the terrain. Swearing softly, she scrambled back to Slash and Blade, briefly wondering how they were going to get out of this one.  
'Welcome to Vietnam boys. I don't know how or why but we're in the middle of the Vietnam War. Best guess, it's 1968.' Emily sighed, glaring at the rest of the group to keep them from freaking out on her.  
'So what do we do now?' Blade asked; trying to keep a level head as the reality of the situation sunk in slowly.  
'I hear people approaching, south west.' Emission warned, keeping low as he darted over to Emily's side.  
'Don't tell me, I'm just a…Staff Sergeant. Report to your Captain and LT.' Emily corrected, glancing at the rank insignia on her sleeves.  
'What else haven't you told us Emily?' Blade asked, tightening his grip on his rifle.  
'Right now, I have no idea what's going on. All I know is we're in the middle of the Vietnam War. Blade, you're in command here. All I can do is suggest plans of action.' Emily shrugged, handing the map back to Slash and adjusting her grip on the rifle she had.  
'Suggest away, I have no idea what to do here. I'm used to fighting with Beast under me on open deserts and city streets. I've used an M-16 under your supervision never in a real combat situation.' Blade nodded, close to panic but managing to keep his cool for the moment.  
'Okay, I'll show you how to lead in situations like this. I'll stick in close and keep guiding you but you and Slash will have to learn fast.' Emily nodded, turning her focus to the team. 'Decal, stay low and go see what you can find out about the approaching people. Don't let them see you spying on them. Make a note of their uniforms, black is bad, olive drab is good. Phantom, you go with him. Everyone else; spread out and cover the clearing. Stay out of each other's lines of fire.' she instructed, slipping in a patch of mud and landing heavily.  
  
Picking up a handful of the mud, she grinned and scurried over to Braidy, slathering it on his tail.  
'What's the go Em?' he asked, turning to look at her.  
'Light colours will get you killed. Use this to darken your face and any other exposed fur but keep the insides of your hands as clean as you can without washing them. Mud will foul up your rifle.' Emily explained, wiping the rest of the mud onto his arm before heading back for another load.  
  
Out in the grass, Decal wormed towards the approaching group, ears pricked as best he could under his helmet and listening intently as they moved closer. Lifting his head, he peered at the group and nodded, instantly noticing their uniforms and accents. Turning slowly, he plunged back into the grass and headed back towards the clearing. Waiting for Decal to pass, Phantom popped his head up and noted the weapons in the hands of the humans and picked out the LT and Sergeant from the group. With the information memorised, he too turned and scrambled away, hoping they hadn't been spotted.  
  
Making it back to the clearing, the two spies crouched beside Blade and looked at each other before Decal nodded.  
'I count a platoon of American soldiers coming our way. I'd say they don't know we're here by the amount of noise they're making.' he reported, running one hand through his short hair.  
'Most are carrying M-16's but they do have one M-60 and the LT has a pistol on his belt. The LT is fourth in the line with the Sergeant in sixth.' Phantom added, taking his helmet off and wiping the sweat from his head.  
'Ideas?' Blade asked, glancing at Emily and Slash.  
  
Before Emily could open her mouth to advise Blade, the grass rustled and the American soldiers entered and froze. Getting to her feet, Emily hurried forward and held her hands up, moving between the two groups.  
'Easy now, everyone just relax. Lower your weapons, we are no threat to you.' she called, well aware of the dangers of raising her voice but she had no choice.  
'Who are you and what are they?' one of the men asked; Sergeant stripes visible on his sleeve.  
'I'm Staff Sergeant Emily Hunter and these are my friends. I can assure you, these brave soldiers will not harm you.' Emily soothed, glancing at the guys in sight as they kept their rifles trained on the American soldiers.  
'They won't try anything, will they Em?' Blade asked, lowering his rifle slightly.  
'I don't know Captain, I honestly can't say. I'd feel better if I wasn't standing in the middle of a Mexican standoff but there's no way in hell that I'm moving out from between our guys and them.' Emily shrugged; starting to worry this was going to be a very short problem.  
'Lower your weapons!' Blade barked, finally showing his true abilities as a leader.  
  
Nodding slowly, the mice lowered their rifles and emerged from their hiding places, letting the Americans know they were totally surrounded.  
'I know this is a scary thing, I went through that stage myself. Please, lower your weapons so we can talk this through like civilised people. It's okay to be concerned; I was in a near panic when I first met these brave troops.' Emily coaxed, looking past the soldier to catch Slash's attention.  
'Make some room guys, you're spooking them. Falcon, Plate, make a doorway out of the clearing for these soldiers.' Slash instructed, relaxed in his new position.  
'how do we know you're trustworthy?' one of the GI's asked, keeping his rifle trained on Decal as he shuffled over to take Emily out of his line of fire.  
'We have provided you with an escape and you are the only ones still pointing weapons. What more do you want us to do?' Falcon asked, wisely staying on one knee in the scrub.  
'Guys, we've got company!' Braidy hissed, whipping around to face the group still in the middle of the clearing.  
'Black or green uniforms?' Blade asked, whipping up his rifle and sinking to one knee.  
'Phantom slid forward to check it out.' Braidy replied, turning his focus back to his search area.  
  
Phantom soon returned, instantly dropping down beside Braidy and chambering a round.  
'Black uniforms, AK-47's in hand. We've got VC.' he reported, not looking up from his rifle.  
'Count?' Slash asked, darting across the clearing to join the defensive line.  
'Estimate only - 100 plus.' Phantom replied, totally focused on the job at hand.  
'You have a choice now gentlemen. We either survive together or we go down hard together. We only just got here and I have no intention of winding up a VC victim.' Emily warned; turning and sprinting over to join the firing line.  
'Just like we did back home guys.' Blade nodded, totally relaxed as he stretched out on the ground and took aim towards the enemy.  
'I ain't planning on dyin' today.' Anderson shrugged, dropping down between a black creature and a red-brown one.  
'Makes two of us. I'm Tar by the way.' the black grinned, offering his hand.  
'Zeke Anderson, shame we had to meet like this.' Zeke replied, shaking the offered hand.  
'And I'm Bonfire. We're used to this kind of stuff, we'll make sure you get home.' the red-brown added, resting his hand on Zeke's shoulder for a moment.  
'No one gets left behind.' Zeke promised, feeling somewhat safer lying prone between the pair now that he knew their names - strange names though they were.  
  
Then it was on, bullets flying back and forth en masse. No one knew who fired the first shot, but at that moment, no one really cared about the fine details.  
'Grenade!' Tar called, showing amazing courage as he shot to his feet and scooped up the live grenade, pegging it back the other way before biting the dust. Zeke couldn't believe his eyes as Tar returned to his point in the line, grabbed his rifle up and went right back to taking down gooks as though he'd never moved.  
'Medic!' Emily called, catching Braid as he went down.  
'I'm closer.' Randy nodded, scampering down the line and dropping beside the fallen mouse.  
'Treat him like any person; they ain't that different on the inside.' Emily advised, turning back and laying down another burst of fire.  
'You're gonna be okay Sarge, just relax.' Randy uttered, getting stuck into his job amid the chaos.  
'Think of home Braid, it's still there waiting for you.' Scorpion added, not looking up from his sights as he yanked a grenade from his webbing and pulled the pin. Glancing at Emily and the tall man beside him, he nodded and pitched his grenade, two more following it into the scrub.  
  
Further long the line, Sidewinder hastily removed several bullets from his magazines and taped them to three grenades. Looking up at the gook position quickly, he taped the grenades together, angling the bullets carefully.  
'tri-bomb!' he called, pulling the pins and hurling the contraption into the VC position. It exploded with an amazing amount of force, cutting down enemy troops in a wide arc.  
'Whoa, that is some fancy work.' Myron nodded, truly impressed by Sidewinder's skills.  
'That was easy. You should see what I can do when I've got a decent set of explosives to work with. Glad I could impress ya though LT.' Sidewinder shrugged, switching back to his rifle and peppering the remaining VC forces.  
  
As suddenly as it started, the last VC weapon fell silent. Poking his head up, Blade scanned the terrain and nodded slowly.  
'Decal, Phantom and Hammer, head out and see what the enemy status is.' he ordered, easing back to his knees as the three spies slid into the undergrowth.  
'Everyone else okay?' Revs asked, looking up from where he was tending a bullet graze on one of the GI's.  
'Yeah, we're all good.' Zeke replied, rising to a crouch and looking around slowly.  
'Well, for our first combat chance here, we did okay.' Kawasaki grinned, hurrying over and wrapping Scorpion up in his arms.  
'Together, we can achieve anything.' Black agreed, slinging his arms around Carbon and Speed's shoulders, squeezing gently.  
'All clear and there's heaps of Intel available.' Decal called, returning to the clearing.  
'You're the one with the need for Intel, go ahead LT.' Emily nodded, turning to Myron.  
'You deserve some of the glory.' Myron replied, following Decal towards the mess of bodies.  
  
#$~$#@#$~$#  
  
Reaching the LZ, the expanded group took a moment to relax and breathe as they waited for the choppers to reach them.  
'I just hope I called for enough choppers.' Myron uttered, looking the double team over quickly.  
'Don't worry about that too much, I'm more concerned about head room. Falcon is going to need to think small.' Emily grinned, adjusting the straps of her pack.  
'What is Captain Wallace going to say about this?' Zeke sighed, shuffling over as Tank landed beside him.  
'No point worrying about what can't be changed. If he wants us off base, we'll make do with what we've got and strike a camp nearby.' Blade remarked, keeping a close eye on his younger brother.  
'Choppers incoming. I count nine…I think.' Mark announced, perking up a little more.  
'Okay, spread out and buddy up. No mouse goes alone.' Myron called, still watching their surrounds as the choppers touched down.  
  
Breaking cover, the massed team split and raced for the choppers, covering each other as though they'd been working together for years.  
'Good thing I've had practise at stuff like this.' Falcon muttered, slipping his pack off and scrambling aboard the chopper. Tucking his feet in close, he ducked his head and crunched up in the smallest ball he possibly could. Decal squeezed in beside him, balancing out the weight and size as he settled and got comfortable.  
'How'd you get to be so big?' Johnson asked, looking at Falcon as he settled behind the pilot.  
'Three home cooked meals a day, plenty of exercise and luck mostly.' Falcon replied, glancing down at Decal and dropping a wink.  
  
In another chopper, Emily squeezed in between Myron and Bandana, shifting her pack around into her lap as her butt touched down.  
'So what's it like living constantly with these guys?' Myron asked, reaching out and helping Slash into the chopper.  
'Chaos at times but for the most, it's peaceful. We get along fairly well, but like all teams, we have our disputes.' Emily shrugged, drawing her feet in a little more as the last guys boarded the bird and it lifted off with the rest of the fleet.  
'I'm surprised you haven't gone mad being the only woman among all these guys.' Myron grinned, looking around the chopper slowly.  
'I'm not the only woman, there's one other in the group. Christine is one of the mice, you'll meet her later.' Emily replied, taking her helmet off and wiping her face on her sleeve.  
  
Leaning back against the pilot seat, Braidy looked at Emission and grinned, tapping his knee lightly. Chuckling softly, Emission nodded and closed his eyes, remembering a favourite song Emily had often played.

_I see a red door and I want it painted black_   
_No colours anymore I want them to turn black_   
_I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes_   
_I have to turn my head until my darkness goes_   
_I see a line of cars and they’re all painted black_   
_With flowers and my love both never to come back_   
_I see people turn their heads and quickly look away_   
_Like a new born baby it just happens ev'ry day_   
_I look inside myself and see my heart is black_   
_I see my red door and it has been painted black_   
_Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts_   
_It’s not easy facin’ up when your whole world is black_

Laughing softly, Zeke watched and listened as the song spread, passing from one to another until everyone in the chopper was singing away.

_No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue_   
_I could not foresee this thing happening to you_   
_If I look hard enough into the settin’ sun_   
_My love will laugh with me before the mornin’ comes_

Relief at surviving their first VC encounter and joy at finding new friends filled the voices in the chopper as they continued the song. Zeke and the pilot joined in happily, spirits lifted by the simple gift of music.

_I see a red door and I want it painted black_   
_No colours anymore I want them to turn black_   
_I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes_   
_I have to turn my head until my darkness goes_   
_Hmm, hmm, hmm,..._   
_I wanna see it painted, painted black_   
_Black as night, black as coal_   
_I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky_   
_I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black_   
_Yeah!_

Glancing at Emission again, Braidy reached over discretely and clasped Emission's hand. Shuffling around a little, Emission made sure their hands were hidden on all angles, enjoying this secret reaffirmation of their love.  
  
#$~$#@#$~$#  
  
Touching down at the firebase, the massed team slid from the choppers and hustled into the facility, ignoring the many confused looks sent their way.  
'I hope you're ready for this. I have no idea what the Captain is going to say about this.' Myron sighed, leading the group through the camp.  
'We'll manage Goldman. Besides, we come bearing gifts.' Blade grinned, patting the hastily wrapped bundle of Intel.  
'Well, compared to home base, this isn't too bad.' Center Line commented; M-60 resting over one shoulder comfortably.  
'Totally different situations bro. I like this though, even with all the weird stares we're getting.' Wheelie sighed, scrubbing at his hair quickly.  
'They'll get used to us guys. Dunno what's gonna freak them out more though. Our looks or the fact we've got two rough and tumble women who are fully trained for combat.' Bits sniggered, taking his helmet off and clipping it on his webbing.  
'My money is on Emily and Christine freaking them out more. These guys just aren't used to combat trained women. All the women in the army are in the rear as nurses or admin, and all that kinda stuff.' Dakota added, grinning at Emily.  
'No way in hell I'm going back there. Someone has to keep you blockheads from blowing yourselves up.' Emily teased, throwing her arm around Ripper's neck affectionately.  
'Not us Em, ya only gotta worry about Sidewinder, Raider and Splat when it comes to blowing shit up.' Shift teased, ducking the lazy punch Raider threw his way.  
'Hey, we all still got our fingers. We've experts with things that go boom.' Splat shot back, getting Shift in a headlock and giving him a noogie.  
'Settle guys, everything hinges on this moment.' Blade hissed, separating the pair quickly.  
  
Leaving the mice to organise their ranks, Myron and Zeke entered the CP bunker and waited until Captain Wallace turned to them.  
'Looks like you had a rough time out there Goldman.' Rusty commented, turning to the pair with a slight grin.  
'Not as bad as it could have been. We had a little help from some new arrivals in country.' Myron shrugged, still not sure what to call the creatures waiting outside.  
'Who? I didn't think there were any other friendly units in the area.' Rusty asked, turning to the map on the wall.  
'Well Sir, that's the difficult part of this explanation. They aren't American or Vietnamese. Truth is; we aren't really sure what they are. Staff Sergeant Hunter was about to explain when the VC attacked our position.' Zeke added, running one hand through his hair quickly.  
'So what did you do with them after the attack?' Rusty enquired, but instincts telling him he wasn't necessarily going to like the answer.  
'They had nowhere else to go so we brought them back here. It just wasn't right to leave them out there, at the mercies of the VC or anyone else who wanted to have a go at them. They have already proven themselves in combat and I'm personally impressed by their ingenuity.' Myron offered, dropping his gaze nervously.  
'On the up side Sir, we did get a lot of Intel from the VC we dealt with. It's outside with their Captain.' Zeke grinned, turning and heading outside.  
'Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?' Rusty muttered, following Myron from the bunker.  
  
Emerging from the bunker, Rusty stared in disbelief at the group Myron had found, mind struggling to catch up with his eyes.  
'Whoa, this is one fucked up dream.' he uttered, rubbing his eyes and going right back to staring.  
'It's not a dream Sir, we're really here. I'm Staff Sergeant Hunter. I do apologise for this, but there's not much that can be done to reduce the shock factor.' Emily offered, slipping from her place to approach the shocked Captain.  
'What are they?' Rusty gaped, head tilting back as he spotted Falcon in the back row.  
'Perhaps it would be better if we spoke in private. I don't want to cause mass panic.' Emily suggested; turning Rusty and guiding him back into the bunker.  
'We'll be here waiting Em.' Blade called, moving to take a seat nearby, the rest of the guys settling around him and relaxing.  
  
Pushing Rusty into a chair gently, Emily crouched and took his hands, taking the time to remove her helmet so he could see her face.  
'I've finally cracked. I'm seeing giant rats on my firebase. Walking, talking rats. Oh god, I'm losing my mind.' Rusty uttered, unseeing eyes focused over Emily's shoulder.  
'Look at me Captain; you're not losing your mind. This is real; we're all really here in Nam still. Come on, focus on me. Don't worry about them just yet, just worry about me. I'm a woman in a combat zone, trained to kill the enemy. I am a deadly shot with M-16 and pistol, I carry a knife, I run with the boys out in the boonies and I kill the VC just like any other American GI.' Emily called softly, squeezing his hands gently as Rusty shook his head and dropped his gaze to her face. Jaw dropping again, he blinked stupidly, pulling off a great impression of a goldfish.  
'You okay Sir?' Zeke asked, leaning against the wall lightly.  
'Yeah, I think so. Did I really just see that out there?' Rusty nodded, still looking at Emily.  
'Now that we're through your little freak out session, we can get down to business. Don't worry Captain Wallace, no one else will know about that little moment of yours.' Emily grinned, releasing his hands and moving to take a seat, Myron and Zeke moving closer.  
'I think you'd best take us right back to the start Emily.' Myron suggested, keeping one eye on Rusty as the Captain tried to catch up to his mind.  
'This is going to sound crazy but I swear on my life it's all true. I'm not crazy and this isn't some kind of trick to freak out American soldiers. Somehow we were transported from our shared home in Chicago to the clearing where you discovered us. We aren't from this time, we came back from the year 2009. The guys sitting just out there aren't even from this planet, they came from Mars and crashed in Chicago. We've been living together for five years and they have come to see me as their closest friend and an advisor of earth culture.' Emily explained, wincing a little at how cracked the story sounded.  
'You mean to tell me we've got aliens running around on earth. Aliens from the future?' Zeke asked, absolutely floored by the revelation.  
'Yeah, something like that. I know this is fucked up but until we figure out how to get home, we're stuck here in your time and place. Blade and his unit are trained soldiers, they've been fighting a war back home for many years. Some of these guys were born into the army and will probably die there too.' Emily nodded, rolling her shoulders quickly.  
'But why us? Why are you here?' Rusty asked, finally coming back to his senses and looking around the small group.  
'I don't know. I've been trying to figure that one out since I came too in that clearing. All I know is we're here and I doubt it was luck that brought us together. Whatever the reason, we're supposed to be here, with your men fighting a war that I wasn't even alive for. I'm only 27, too young to know the war apart from what I've read in books. I know this is scary but there's nothing we can do to get home until we do what we were sent here to accomplish.' Emily sighed, listening to the guys outside as they talked and laughed with Goldman's platoon.  
'You said mice, not rats. What's the big difference?' Myron asked, towelling off his face quickly.  
'Two races live on Mars, rats and mice. Many, many years before I met SAU 14, the rats made an attempt to take control of the surface of Mars, resulting in the First Martian War. The mice won after years of fighting but still the tension lingers. Call a mouse a rat and you'll find out just how dangerous these guys can be. It's a personal insult to all those who have died and all who still fight. The rats are much harsher in the face and have bald tails, unlike my friends.' Emily replied, digging a photo out of her pocket. 'Blade gave me this not long after we met so I didn't make that mistake twice.'  
  
Looking at the photo, Myron nodded slowly, recognising the differences before passing the image to Rusty.  
'So what do we need to be aware of to make things smoother between our two races?' Rusty asked, memorising the distinctions between rat and mouse before handing the picture to Zeke.  
'Treat them no different to anyone else under your command. They are practically human, once you get past their looks. Just like any group of people, we have those who would prefer not to fight and those who love to fight. We have softly spoken men and those who can get a bit out of hand. Fifty-five different personalities but we pull together to form one powerful unit.' Emily nodded, taking the photo back from Zeke and tucking it away.  
'That still leaves one small problem. How am I supposed to explain a woman on the front lines?' Rusty groaned, hiding his face in his hands.  
'Hey, Christine and I can play butch. Of course, you can always say we're trialling the idea of putting women in the front.' Emily suggested, wondering if she'd stuffed up by mentioning Christine so early.  
'Two women? It's too much of a risk, I could lose my commission for this.' Rusty protested, snapping his head up sharply.  
'Hey, if you want to go tell Christine she has to go to the rear, be my guest. But watch out for her husband Braid, he's one mean sucker. He's the big tall black Sergeant that never strays from her side.' Emily warned, quickly checking what was written on her dogtags, wanting to make sure the details were appropriate.  
'You're not their CO Sir, so it's not your fault. They have a Captain, it's his neck on the block, not yours.' Zeke added, moving to stand behind Emily.  
'Well there is that too. We can make this work Sir, if you'll just give us a chance. Admittedly, this isn't the kind of battlefield Blade and his boys are used to but they'll pick it up within a couple days.' Emily agreed, relieved to have Zeke onside.  
'Well then, I suppose I had better meet my counterpart.' Rusty nodded, getting to his feet and straightening his uniform.  
'That can be arranged. I'll be right back.' Emily grinned, shouldering her gear and heading up to the others.  
  
Looking up from their conversations, Slash and Blade nodded before getting to their feet.  
'Just take things slow, he's already had one freak out session.' Emily uttered, leading them into the bunker.  
'Oww, damnit.' Blade swore, rubbing his head and ducking down a little more so he could squeeze down the stairs.  
'Yeah, we might have to get something done about that.' Emily chuckled, moving aside as Blade straightened, narrowly avoiding another headache.  
'I'll adapt to this, it'll take a few days but I'll get the hang of low ceilings.' Blade grinned, taking a knee and looking around slowly.  
'I'm sure you will. Captain Wallace, I'd like to present Captain Potos and 1st Lieutenant Potos.' Emily nodded, moving to stand behind the pair.  
'Welcome to Firebase Ladybird, it's not much but its home. Rusty Wallace, nice to meet you. We don't see a lot of siblings around these parts, it's against regs.' Rusty grinned, offering his hand.  
'We've camped in worse places than this, don't sweat it. Just another difference among our units, brothers are welcome but we've never lost many. I'm Blade and this is Slash.' Blade replied, taking the offered hand.  
'Just another thing you forgot to mention hey Hunter.' Zeke remarked, glancing at her.  
'I don't even think about it anymore. I've gotten used to the intricacies of the group and I know the brothers and other connections that keep the team strong.' Emily shrugged, laying her hands on Blade and Slash's shoulders lightly.  
'I'm sure we'll make this work out in the end. Why don't you go tell your boys the good news while I figure out where we can put you all.' Rusty offered, turning to Myron for help.  
'I've got three spare racks in my tent.' Zeke suggested, turning his full focus to Emily.  
'Bonfire, Revs and Fog.' Blade recommended, totally comfortable with his selection.  
'We'll sort the rest out as we go but some of the guys are going to be big problems.' Myron added, thinking fast.  
'I know we've got two spare in the officer's tent. So that's five down, fifty more to deal with.' Rusty called, turning his focus back to Blade and Slash.  
'Like it or lump it, Christine will stay in close to Braid and I'm one of the guys. I expect to be treated no different than anyone else on this base.' Emily winked, turning and darting up to get the guys moving.  
'I'd rather we put Emily in with someone trustworthy, I really didn't like the looks some of the guys were giving her.' Blade sighed, glancing over his shoulder.  
'Revs, Emily and Sidewinder in with Zeke.' Slash suggested, trying to come up with a group that would live in harmony together. Eyes blowing wide, Zeke hustled out to tell Emily about the change of plans, shocked he was already considered trustworthy enough to share a tent with Emily. It hadn't taken much to realise how much the mice cared about her and to know he was considered safe around their closest human friend was a huge boost to his confidence.  
  
#$~$#@#$~$#  
  
Tossing her kit down on her rack, Emily sat and started in on her rifle, not a wasted movement as she stripped and cleaned her weapon.  
'What's bugging you Em? We're going to be okay.' Sidewinder asked, dropping his gear on the empty rack across the tent before coming over to sit beside her.  
'I don't like being clueless Winder. We're in an unfamiliar war, with weapons most of the guys have barely spent any time using and no clue as to why we're here. Blade's not sure how to lead in this new style of war, Slash is trying hard to prop him up but in the end, it's on my shoulders to keep everyone alive. I've studied the Vietnam war in the past but I never studied more than I needed to know to do my job.' Emily sighed, putting her rifle back together before looking up at the heavily muscled white beside her.  
'I'm here for you Em. If you ever need to scream your frustrations out or release your anger in a sparring match, I'm here.' Sidewinder promised, drawing Emily in close and tucking her head under his chin.  
  
Looking around quickly to make sure no one could overhear him, he lowered his head and let the song overtake him, his every word a promise.

_Let me be the one you call_   
_If you jump I'll break your fall_   
_Lift you up and fly away with you into the night_   
_If you need to fall apart_   
_I can mend a broken heart_   
_If you need to crash then crash and burn_   
_You're not alone_

Smiling softly, Emily enjoyed the closeness for a few minutes longer before pulling back and getting to her feet.  
'You have no idea how much that means to me Winder.' she grinned, grabbing her webbing and heading out of the tent.


	3. Notes From The Underground

Moving through the thick undergrowth, Slash felt so much more confident after his quiet lessons with Myron. Now he could control his expanded platoon without a problem, taking the strain off Emily and the other Sergeants. Decal was on point this time, Killer on slack behind him and Black seemed quite happy to play RTO this time out. The radio was passed around the Knight brother's equally, making it easier on them and harder for the enemy to pick who would be carrying the radio each time. Everyone had undergone changes, some more drastic than others but as a unit, they had only gotten stronger. Silence was drilled into their heads and they took the lesson to heart, never making an unnecessary noise when on patrol.

Today was no different as they worked with Goldman's platoon again, supporting each other as was needed.  
'Bravo 4-6, what's your status?' Goldman radioed, somewhere to their north.  
'We are three zero klicks sierra echo from Lima Zulu.' Slash replied; scanning the tree line again as the team snaked through the jungle.  
'Copy that. Bravo 2-6 out.' Myron acknowledged, sounding just a little bit proud of Slash.

The sounds of the jungle were suddenly destroyed by the note of cocking rifles somewhere in the scrub. Dropping to their knees, the team scanned for the enemy, fingers tightening on their rifles as they kept looking for the danger.  
'Sierra whisky.' Hammer hissed, spotting foliage that just didn't belong where it was.  
'Take 'em down!' Bonfire called, opening fire on the enemy position.

It didn't take the VC long to realise they'd been spotted and they ran, weaving back and forth as the fire intensified and Tar fired his blooper right into the group, knocking off another couple.  
'Bravo 2-6, we just came under fire. The VC have broken contact and are heading your way. Over.' Slash radioed, lobbing a grenade into the chaos.  
'What direction are they coming from?' Myron asked, still cool and calm which gave Slash new strength and calmed his mind.  
'West, they're coming right for you.' Slash confirmed, getting to his feet as Revs raced down the line and knelt beside Thunder, dressing his shoulder quickly.

Doing a quick check to make sure no one was critical, Slash shot to his feet and led the charge into the scrub, vaulting logs and other obstacles with his bros and fellow soldiers.  
'LT, shouldn't you let Lieutenant Goldman know we're coming?' Black asked, keeping pace easily as they moved through the scrub.  
'Good point.' Slash nodded, taking cover behind a large tree as Black handed him the handset.  
'Bravo 2-6, we are in pursuit of the VC. I repeat; we are in pursuit of the VC. Over.' he radioed, waving the rest of the team forward.  
'Copy that Bravo 4-6.' Myron replied, the faintest trace of strain starting to show. With his obligation dealt with, Slash resumed the chase, Black still right behind him.

#$~$#@#$~$#

One second everything was fine, and then it all went to shit as the platoon reached Goldman's position and came under fire.  
'Hold your fire!' Falcon bellowed, yanking Braidy and Shift behind a tree for protection.  
'Cease fire! Cease fire! Cease fire!' Zeke and Myron hollered, yanking at webbing and shoving Ruiz away from his weapon.  
'Fuckin' hell guys, we're supposed to be allies.' Slash called, emerging from cover and stalking towards the humans.  
'We thought you were the VC.' Baker argued, sitting up and tipping his helmet back.  
'They were in front of us. They must have come past you.' Crimson replied, removing his helmet and wiping the sweat from his face.  
'Nobody came through.' Myron retorted, getting to his feet.  
'Hey, where's Tank?' Danny asked, rising to his knees and looking around the group again.  
'Aw hell, he's still back there. I'll go back and find him.' Falcon groaned, shouldering his rifle and sprinting back into the scrub.  
'Are you guys trying to kill us?' Raider growled, looking at the bullet graze on his arm in disgust.  
'We didn't know it was you guys. The VC were supposed to be in front of you.' Johnson replied, the voice of calm in the raging storm.  
'It's like they just disappeared but that's not possible.' Voodoo uttered, looking around slowly.

Struggling just a little, Falcon returned to the group, Tank's unconscious body draped over his shoulders. Taking a knee, he gently lay the black mouse on the ground and moved aside as Revs and Randy descended on him, dressing wounds and making sure he was comfortable.  
'Well, things could always be worse.' Daytona shrugged, taking a seat on a nearby log.  
'True, we could be dead.' Raider agreed, still dirty about the misunderstanding.  
'One more word and I'll have you up on disciplinary actions.' Slash warned; looking around his team so they knew the warning was aimed at all of them.  
'Someone call for a dustoff, we can't hump Tank out of here.' Revs called, glancing up to check on Shard as he patched up Raider's arm.  
'I'll do it.' Myron nodded, turning to Horn and holding out his hand.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Keeping one eye on the surrounding jungle, the mixed team waited for the dustoff but got quite a surprise when it landed. Rusty and Blade jumped out and instantly moved in to assist, pulling together to help lift Tank into the chopper.  
'I'll keep him safe Blade.' Emily promised, taking one hand lightly as the Captains walked away and the chopper lifted off.  
'Hey, heard the bad guys pulled a disappearing act on you.' Blade called, grinning at his brother.  
'Yeah, we almost wasted Slash's platoon.' Zeke replied, offering Sidewinder an apologetic smile.  
'I saw them heading west; they had to go by you.' Slash sighed, turning his focus to Myron again.  
'But they didn't. Nobody came through and we had no idea how far behind you guys were.' Myron replied, getting to his feet and shouldering his rifle.  
'I don't get it. They always seem to know exactly where we're gonna be.' Rusty added, shaking his head slowly. 'They hit us then bam, they're gone. They disappear like smoke.'  
'Don't ask me, I don't have the answers.' Zeke shrugged, rifle resting against his thigh.  
'There's a village about a klick south of here. Betcha that's where they went.' Emission cut in, glancing towards Braidy quickly.  
'Might be worth a look see.' Kawasaki agreed; eyes darting around to make sure everyone was keeping their eyes open for trouble.

#$~$#@#$~$#

A search of the village showed it to be empty but everyone knew the people had to be around somewhere. Fires were still smouldering and the animals were still there.  
'Now this is spooky.' Odd Ball muttered, checking another hootch quickly.  
'I'll never get used to this sort of stuff.' Visor added, knocking a pot off the fire and continuing his search for the people of the village.  
'These people are a totally different kind to back home.' Bits agreed, emerging from another hootch and shaking his head.

Settling back into their normal level of wariness, the team relaxed fractionally and sat to have lunch, still listening and watching for any signs of trouble.  
'These guys are even worse than the rats back home.' Falcon remarked, folding his legs up under him as he settled beside Zeke near one of the fires.  
'So what's home like for you? And I don't mean Chicago.' Zeke asked, scanning the area quickly before turning his focus to the can in his hand.  
'Dry and dusty. Water is scarce and it's always hot. Nights are freezing, just like any desert. We don't inhabit the surface anymore, it's not safe. The rats tried to take our planet and enslave us, now we face another threat. The Plutarkians are trying to take over Mars so they can repair their own planet but we're not giving up without a hell of a fight.' Falcon shrugged, tucking into his lunch but keeping watch over the guys in his field of vision.

A single muffled shot rang out, shattering the pots hanging between the two Sergeants, pouring rice over them.  
'Here comes the bride.' Plate, Rictor and Metric sang, breaking into giggles.  
'All fat and wide.' Ruiz chimed in, unable to resist the opening.  
'You're closer to white than I am so you must be the bride.' Falcon teased, brushing the rice out of his collar. 'Man, I'm gonna need someone to brush my back when we get back to base.' he groused, trying to dig the rice out of his shirt with little success.  
'Be gentle with me.' Zeke shot back, trying but failing to look sweet and innocent.  
'Look out Falcon, you're got an admirer.' Revs chuckled, taking shelter behind Sidewinder.  
'At least I won't choke on him.' Falcon challenged, lost in the friendly verbal sparring to relieve the tension.  
'Uh oh, we're about to get a brawl over who gets the Sarge.' Raider cut in, ready to run if Falcon decided to give chase.  
'I thought weddings were supposed to be peaceful.' Taylor added, ducking back at the murderous glint in Zeke's eyes.

Across the village, Slash and Myron tried to keep straight faces, but failed miserably and cracked up the moment they looked at each other.  
'You should probably rescue Zeke.' Slash suggested between gales of laughter.  
'He'll cope.' Myron shrugged, holding his belly.  
'And who said war was all serious.' Fog grinned, landing beside him and chuckling.  
'This sort of thing does the men good.' Christine agreed, joining the officers and having a laugh at Zeke's predicament.  
'Here we go, the fight for who gets to top.' Fog called, watching Zeke tackle Falcon.  
'That'll be Falcon, Zeke hasn't got a chance.' Myron replied, lunch forgotten in the merriment.

Another shot cut the game short and sent everyone scrambling for cover.  
'Sniper! Sniper! Sniper!' the guys called, hauling the slower ones clear of the danger zone. Center Line grabbed Randy by the collar and hauled him into the pig pen, not saying a word about the mud as he chambered a round and opened fire on the treeline. Scattering quickly, the rest of the massed team took up defensive positions and opened fire, hammering at the treeline all around the village.  
'Sounds like just a couple of them. You see any gun smoke?' Zeke asked, looking up from his rifle.  
'Yeah, I'm looking right over there.' Fang replied, pointing into the trees quickly.

Across the village, Braidy and Emission stretched out side by side and lay down serious fire, covering each other as they moved to make their numbers seem larger than they already were. Emission spotted Taylor as he crawled out of the ditch around the village and moved to shelter behind another building, isolated from the rest of the team. He brought his rifle up and went to take a shot but the sniper was faster, grazing the black man across the neck. Taylor went down, one hand pressed to his neck.  
'Medic!' he called, stretching out on the ground and starting to move towards the others. 'Medic!'  
'Hang on buddy, I'm coming!' Shift replied, slipping past Braidy to make his approach. He barely made it out past the tall grass before a wave of heavy fire tore up the ground in front of him, forcing the white mouse back into the grass. 'Hang in there Taylor!' he called, ducking back and rolling clear of the danger.

Slowly the gunfire died out and the troops lifted their heads.  
'Do you see them?' Myron asked, scanning the tres slowly.  
'No, I don't see em. Maybe they pulled out.' Hammer replied, also scanning the area.  
'Cease fire! We either got them or they're long gone. Either way, we're wasting ammo.' Zeke called, jogging over to Choke to make sure he got the message.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sprinting through the village, Black tried not to panic as he searched for the leaders and finally found them on the far side.  
'Lieutenant, Sergeant, we need you over here quick!' he called, waving for Slash and Zeke to follow him. Turning quickly, they ran back towards the area Braidy and Emission had been covering, Baker bringing up the rear.

Coming up the slope, Braid tipped his helmet back as Shift turned to him.  
'What have you got Doc?' he asked, glancing over his shoulder as Zeke and Slash joined them.  
'Taylor was hit. He was calling for me but when I got over here, he was gone.' Shift reported; glancing back at the spot Taylor had been.  
'Well did you check the hootch?' Zeke asked, concerned by the missing man.  
'Yep, checked the hootch and nothing.' Shift confirmed, deeply worried and just a little spooked by the vanishing act.  
'Alright, alright. Horn, check that hootch. Baker, come with me. We'll check the woods.' Myron instructed, jogging away to start the search.  
'It's crazy, it's like he just vanished into thin air.' Shift added, running one hand over his face as Braid and Emission headed in the other direction to see what they could turn up.  
'Yeah, just like the bunch that hit you guys. Just like the people that live in this village.' Zeke replied, moving to spread the search area even more.

Everyone soon took up the search, spreading out and calling for the missing man but secretly, no one was sure if they would ever find him.  
'This is weird man, how could he just disappear like that?' Percell asked, emerging from another hootch and moving on.  
'I don't know man, beats the hell outta me.' Scorpion replied, following Percell as they searched.  
'Alright guys, knock off. Let's take ten. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.' Blade called, glancing at Rusty to make sure he'd made the right call.

Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, Goggles grabbed the ladle in the water barrel and poured a full scoop down his front.  
'I reckon it was me who got that sniper. Another notch on my belt.' he grinned, handing Horn the ladle and heading to take a seat beside him. 'I walk in the valley of death, I fear no evil for I am the…yahhh!' he screamed, scrabbling around for a moment before getting to his feet.  
'What happened? What happened? What's wrong?' Horn asked, staring at him in shock.  
'Get it out! Get it out Horn! Get it out!' Goggles yelped, turning to present his ass to the younger RTO. Reaching up, Roger grabbed the board attached to Goggles' ass and pulled, wrenching it free. Turning it over, Roger looked at the bloody nail for a moment before turning back to Goggles as he pressed one hand to his ass.  
'Why me? God, oh god. Why me?' Goggles cried, limping around a little.  
'Are you okay?' Roger asked, still holding the board up.  
'It hurts. Why me baby, why me? Medic!' Goggles called, hobbling away to find one of the medics as Horn chuckled softly, still looking at the board.

Looking back to where Goggles had been sitting, Roger noticed something strange and lifted another of the boards.  
'Hey Bandana, look man. There's a hole here.' he called, looking down into the inky black below.  
'You'd better go get the Lieutenants.' Bandana replied, taking a knee and looking at the tunnel entrance. Horn nodded sharply and stood, darting off to find Myron and Slash.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Flipping the trapdoor open, Bandana peered into the darkness as Zeke, Myron, Slash and Bonfire came running, Horn bringing up the rear.  
'Well, well, well looky here. I was wonderin' if it was gonna come to this.' Zeke remarked, reaching for a grenade as he started shouting in Vietnamese.  
'What the hell does that mean?' Slash asked, leaning against one of the corner posts.  
'He's telling them to get up out of the hole or he's gonna kill them.' Decal replied, jogging over to join the group.  
'Stand back, I'll show you a little trick.' Zeke added, yanking a grenade off his webbing and continuing his challenge.  
'Get clear.' Myron nodded, moving a few steps away and crouching, back to the blast site and covering his head.  
'Fire in the hole!' Zeke called, pulling the pin and tossing the grenade in before moving to join the group.

Returning to the hole after the grenade had gone off; everyone peered through the smoke, waiting to see what was going to happen.  
'Well that settles that.' Ru commented, standing behind Zeke.  
'No, all that does is tell them we're on our way.' Bonfire replied, taking a knee beside Zeke.  
'We're going to need a couple of flashlights and a lot of patience.' Zeke added, glancing at Bonfire, a little amazed by how fast he'd picked things up. 'Anybody wanna volunteer to go down there after them?'  
'Wait, you gotta be kidding. You ain't gonna send somebody down in there?' Johnson protested, leaning forward a little more.  
'Johnson, as soon as possible. That's the only way to rat them outta there.' Zeke replied, glancing at the black man behind him.  
'I'll go. It was my buddies they were taking pot-shots at and I want some payback.' Mark volunteered, moving through the group.  
'Have you ever done tunnels before?' Zeke asked, looking at the black and brown mouse offering to take his chances with the tunnels.  
'Yeah, many times.' Mark nodded, removing his webbing and handing it to Bits.  
'Here, take this.' Myron offered, holding out his pistol.  
'Alright, now they're gonna be waiting for ya, at every junction. They know you're comin', that's their advantage.' Zeke warned, moving back from the hole a little.  
'I hear ya.' Mark nodded, taking the torch Horn handed him.  
'Jones, you go with him. You stay at least five yards behind him. That way a grenade won't take both of you out.' Bonfire added, turning to the skinny little white cherry right at the back of the group.  
'Yeah right.' Jones nodded, removing his webbing and taking the pistol Horn handed over and the torch from Speed.  
'Be safe bro.' Bits called, watching as Mark climbed down and vanished from sight.  
'Always.' Mark replied before scuttling out of the way and Jones followed him into the inky black.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Everyone jumped as the screams of agony echoed up through the tunnel entrance, giving the group pause and making them worry for their friends down there.  
'Come on Mark; don't let the fuckers beat ya.' Bits uttered, leaning forward a little more.  
'I don't think that's Mark, he's not that stupid. Mark knows tunnels; he won't do anything that could risk his life.' Falcon soothed, wrapping one arm around his little brother's shoulders.  
'Still can't help but worry. I should be down there with him.' Bits sighed, sitting back a little.

Kneeling around the entrance, Zeke and Bonfire swapped worried looks, not sure what was going on down there.  
'Oh god, it's awful. It's awful man, its awful. It's awful, I can't get him up. He's got his feet and body all the way through. I can't get him out. I can't get him out.' Mark cried as he was hauled up out of the entrance, badly shaken but unharmed.  
'We can't leave him there. Magura, let's go!' Killer called, grabbing his torch and sidearm and jumping into the hole.  
'Right behind ya bro.' Magura nodded, grabbing Wheelie's pistol on the way through before he too vanished down into the tunnels.

They returned a few minutes later and gently passed Jones up out of the tunnel and into Revs and Randy's capable hands before climbing up and walking away, sickened by the sight.  
'I ain't going down there again man. I've done tunnels but this ain't what I'm used to. Find some other idiot to risk his life down there.' Mark spat, still shaken by what he'd seen.  
'I'll go.' Zeke replied, shotgun resting against one shoulder.  
'Not by yourself you won't.' Myron replied, turning away from the grizzly scene to look at Zeke.  
'I was in tunnels in three corps, I know what to expect.' Zeke reassured him, still watching the medics working on Jones.  
'It's a two man job.' Myron continued, nerves wearing thin.  
'I'll holler if I need help.' Zeke promised, determined not to make anyone else go down there.  
'No, I said you're not going down there by yourself.' Myron reiterated, rapidly losing his patience.  
'Yeah, well don't look at me.' Mark added; turning and walking away.  
'Alright, volunteers?' Slash called, looking around the group slowly.  
'I'll go; I'm used to hunting rats in tunnels.' Decal nodded, getting up and walking over to them.  
'Decal, you can't. This is nothing like back home.' Mark tried, getting to his feet quickly but Bits pulled him back down.  
'I don't doubt that Mark but I'm not gonna let Zeke go down there alone. I'm tunnel born and bred, unlike most of the guys here. In case you've forgotten, the Shorland family made their name by going down in enemy tunnels and chasing the rats out screaming.' Decal replied, removing his webbing and handing it to Falcon before yanking his shirt and singlet off.  
'What are you doing Decal?' Bonfire asked, watching Decal as he grabbed his pistol and torch.  
'What I was born to do. My father chased the rats out of the Briar tunnels with nothing but a knife in his hand and I'm gonna do the next best thing. I can handle this Sarge, trust me.' Decal grinned, stuffing a couple extra mags in his pocket.  
'Lieutenant, I might have a solution to your problem.' Rusty called, walking up to the group. 'Gas, CS. We'll gas them out.' he explained, tossing Myron the canister in his hand.  
'Well, this oughta save us some wear and tear.' Slash remarked, also looking at the canister.  
'Don't hold your breath.' Zeke and Decal replied, earning a few soft chuckles from the group. Pulling the pin, Myron walked over and tossed the gas canister in before turning and running away, the rest of the men already a safe distance away from the billowing white cloud.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Making sure he had everything, Decal sat quietly beside Falcon and waited patiently. Apparently there was still some debate about whether or not he should be the one to accompany Zeke down into the tunnels.  
'Listen Lieutenant, wouldn't you be better off waiting up here with the men?' Zeke offered, leading Myron a short distance away.  
'Look, I think the Captain can take care of the men and the squad leaders know their jobs.' Myron replied, glancing towards the main group.  
'The tunnels are dangerous you know.' Zeke countered, grinning faintly as Decal stood and wrapped a bandana loosely around his neck.  
'Well no kidding.' Myron shot back, still thinking about Jones' injuries. Look, Sergeant, I'm not gonna order these men to do something I wouldn't do myself. Understand?'  
'You're not ordering me to do anything LT.' Decal cut in, his stubborn streak coming out full force. 'We all have our duties and this is mine, not yours. You have a responsibility to your men, to be their leader and keep them out of danger as much as possible. The tunnels are my home, my place and I know their ways. Vietnamese tunnels or Martian tunnels, it's all the same to me.'  
'Alright fine.' Myron relented, catching the warning signal from Slash.  
'Now can we get on with this?' Decal asked, turning his focus back to Zeke.  
'Yeah, lets go. You taking the lead or am I?' Zeke nodded, turning and heading for the tunnel entrance with Decal.  
'I will. I'm smaller and lighter. Who knows what little tricks Charlie has down there for us to enjoy. I'll spot the traps before you put your big feet in them.' Decal teased, relieving the last of the tension as they approached.  
'Be safe bro.' Falcon called, heart in his throat at the thought of Decal going down there.  
'Always Falcon.' Decal replied, lifting one hand in a light wave. 'Sir.' he added, acknowledging Rusty as he passed.  
'Happy hunting.' Rusty offered, watching Decal turn to the west and duck his head in prayer.  
'Merciful Ares, I pray you watch over me as I face this new challenge. Guide my heart to make the right choice and protect me from harm.' Decal uttered, pausing a moment before dropping to sit on the edge of the hole. Behind him, Zeke pumped his shotgun and nodded before approaching the hole and waiting for Decal to drop in and move forward.

Landing lightly, Decal slipped his bandana over his nose and moved forward, his smaller stature a huge advantage when it came to working in close areas like this. Tucking his tail in, he crept forward as Zeke landed, making a bit of noise and only just managing to stick his landing.  
'I can still feel the gas.' Decal remarked, wiping his eyes as he turned back to Zeke.  
'Yeah, well just keep your eyes peeled for trip wires. They've got these things booby trapped like you wouldn't believe.' Zeke replied, shining his torch along the walls.  
'You ain't talking to a rookie here Anderson. I was born to run the tunnels.' Decal hissed, wrapping his tail around his torch and holding it steady as they progressed down the tunnels.  
'Go slow, go slow.' Zeke uttered, keeping his distance as Decal moved forward.  
'Shhh, your voice carries down here you big lug. I know what I'm doing.' Decal replied, briefly wondering why he'd volunteered for this one.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Inching forward, Decal scanned for tripwires as Zeke watched higher up for other problems that could get them both killed.  
'Don't move! Freeze! Don't move!' Zeke hissed; stopping dead as Decal inched along.  
'What? What? What?' Decal asked, nary a muscle moving as he waited for Zeke to explain.  
'Up to your left.' Zeke directed, leaning forward a little more. Slowly, Decal lifted his gaze, spotting the snake up on the beam, coiled up and ready to strike out.  
'Whoa! God, oh man!' Decal yelped; shooting back towards Zeke as the snake struck out at him.  
'Did it bite you? Did it bite you?' Zeke asked, keeping one eye on the snake as Decal tucked his feet in and tried to calm his breathing.  
'No, no, no, no. It struck at me though, it struck right at me.' Decal replied, regaining his composure and sitting up.  
'You're lucky. It was a Two-Step.' Zeke nodded, still watching the snake.  
'A what?' Decal asked, turning to the older man.  
'Two-Step, that's the name of the snake. If it bites you, you go two steps then you die.' Zeke explained, torch lighting up the pale snake.  
'Similar to a Death Viper, we get them back home. Next time don't let me get that bloody close.' Decal growled, pulling the large knife from his belt.  
'You wanna go back?' Zeke asked; making sure they never lost sight of the snake.  
'Hell no, we've got a job to do. Now get your shotgun away from my ear.' Decal replied, batting the gun barrel aside and getting slowly to his knees.  
'Sorry. I'll kill it.' Zeke uttered, moving the shotgun away and going to slip past.  
'No, I'll kill it. You just keep the light pointed at it.' Decal corrected, fingers drumming along the knife handle as Zeke steadied the light. 'That's it, there it is.' lunging forward, Decal threw the knife with amazing accuracy, taking the head off the snake in one fell swoop. Pulling a small plastic bag from his pocket, Decal grabbed the headless snake and coiled it up tightly before dropping it into the bag and squeezing out all the air before shoving it in his pocket.  
'What do you want that for?' Zeke asked; confused as to why anyone would want to keep something that dangerous.  
'I'll get Falcon to tan the skin and turn it into a new armband for me. Either that or a hat band for Emily. All depends how much of it is salvageable.' Decal shrugged, checking for any more snakes before moving on again.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Up on ground level, Falcon kept glancing at the tunnel, terrified he was going to hear another agonised scream and only Zeke would emerge from the mouth of the tunnel.  
'I shouldn't have let him go down there alone.' he uttered, hanging his head.  
'He's got Zeke and you know he's trustworthy. Just relax; we're not going to lose anyone else today.' Cosmo grinned, landing beside Falcon and offering him a reassuring grin.  
'I hope so, I can't lose him. I hate the fact I can't give him a hug and let him know how much he means to me but Emily said it wasn't safe and I believe her.' Falcon uttered, fear colouring his voice as he kept listening for problems.  
'Hey, I've seen the guys here being a little bit more affectionate than we thought. When he gets out of that tunnel, put an arm around his shoulders and let him know. I heard Taylor and Johnson talking and I love you has a different meaning here than it does back home. It's more brotherly than romantic.' Crimson added; plopping down on Falcon's other side.  
'Well that's something I suppose. But don't you find it hard, not being able to talk as freely as we can back home. It's not like you can go spend your time with Shift and Wheelie like you used to, before we wound up here.' Falcon sighed, hanging his head but still listening to the tunnel.  
'Yeah, it's been hard, I'll give ya that. But we're managin' to keep it together, even with all the problems.' Cosmo agreed, shuffling over as Shift walked over and sunk down beside them.  
'Jones didn't make it.' he uttered, laying his head on Cosmo's shoulder and closing his eyes.  
'I'm sure you did all you could.' Cosmo replied, slipping one arm around Shift and holding him close, happy to play rock for the shaken medic.  
'I know what you can do though. Be there to haul Decal out of that hell. He'll need your strength and support after spending time down there. Mark is still shaken from his ordeal and you know how tough he is.' Bits suggested; joining the group with Mark still huddled against him.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Coming around another corner, Zeke took the lead for a while and led them straight to a trapdoor in the ceiling.  
'Now this is where things get a little bit hairy. Once we stick our heads up in that opening, there's a million different ways they can nail us.' Zeke warned, keeping one eye on the trapdoor at all times.  
'So we stick the guns up there and shoot like hell. Odds are we'll hit something.' Decal nodded, fingers tightening on his pistol.  
'Sounds like a plan to me.' Zeke nodded, moving aside so anyone shooting down wouldn't get him in the head.  
'Mind if I take the lead on this one? A bare chested Martian is bound to be a lot more scary to these gooks than a Sergeant with a shotgun.' Decal grinned, also watching the trapdoor.  
'By all means, I'll even give you a boost.' Zeke agreed; raising his shotgun as Decal moved into position.  
'Sprinted into that one didn't I?' Decal muttered; glaring at Zeke but the grin on his face took away the heat in his eyes.  
'Ready? One…two…grenade!' he cried, spotting the trapdoor opening. The live grenade landed right between them and Decal quickly picked it up, pitching it away from them before moving to take cover.

It went off with a roar, covering the pair with another layer of dust but Decal was undeterred and ducked as Zeke fired three rounds up through the wood before giving the smaller Martian a boost. Shouldering the wood aside, along with the dead body on top, Decal balanced on Zeke's shoulders and opened fire, sending the VC scrambling away in terror.  
'I'm the nightmare your momma warned you about!' he cried, climbing up and making space for Zeke to emerge. Scrambling to his feet, Decal started screaming in Vietnamese, watching them run until Zeke was in position.  
'What's that, it's not one I've heard before?' Zeke asked, scrambling up and moving for cover.  
'Something about their mommas and goats.' Decal grinned, taking off after the gooks as they ran from their lives, screaming about monsters in the tunnels.

Rounding another corner, Decal dropped to his knees and fired, taking two down before they could warn anyone else but the gunfire had already done that.  
'Wait! Wait! Tripwire!' Zeke called, snagging Decal's tail as he went to give chase again.  
'Where?' Decal asked, scanning the ground quickly.  
'Right there.' Zeke replied; lighting up the thin wire, well hidden by the dust kicked up by the fleeing VC.  
'Thanks. Come on.' Decal grinned, stepping over the wire and continuing the pursuit.

Ears pricked for danger, Decal fell in behind Zeke as they turned again, almost lost in the maze of tunnels but hopeful they could make it out again.  
'ambush.' he whispered, ducking into a small alcove with Zeke as a lone gunner appeared around the next corner and opened fire on them.  
'Sharp ears.' Zeke nodded, poking his shotgun out and returning fire.  
'It's a gift.' Decal shrugged, ears flattening amid the gunfire.  
'Reload!' Zeke called, ducking back and pulling the rounds from his belt as Decal lunged forward and opened fire on the enemy. Pulling back again, he threw a few more curses down the tunnel and even corrected Zeke on the pronunciation.

Leapfrogging each other, the pair kept pace with the VC, trading fire and struggling to see through the dust lingering in the air.  
'Now this is more like home, a city underground.' Decal grinned, back pressed to the wall as he reloaded quickly. 'tripwire.' he called, stopping Zeke before he barged into an ammo cache.  
'Step over it, we'll get it on the way out.' Zeke replied, carefully entering the room.  
'You ready? Go!' Decal nodded, letting off another few rounds before entering the room properly.  
'Look at all this stuff. This is American stuff. They got more stuff than we do.' Zeke remarked, reloading quickly.  
'We'll deal with that later Zeke, right now; we've got a job to do. Ready?' Decal replied, reloading and making ready for another charge.  
'Go!' Zeke nodded, charging into the next room. 'That's the ammo, get outta here!' he called, turning and sprinting back the way they had come. Decal didn't need to be told twice and ran, all else forgotten for the moment. Seconds later, the cache cooked off and exploded violently, causing a cave in and putting a ton of dust in the air.

Once the rumbling had stopped, Zeke lifted his head and choked on the dust, spitting a few times as he tried to clear his lungs.  
'You alright?' he asked, looking around their potential tomb. Then he spotted Decal, half buried in the cave in. 'Decal!' he called, brushing away the dirt and tugging on Decal's belt, desperate to get him out. 'Decal! Decal! You alright?' he kept trying, dreading having to tell anyone Decal had been killed.

Rolling him over, Zeke knelt beside the small brown and opened his mouth, listening for any sounds of breathing. Right hand slipping under Decal's head, Zeke adjusted his position and listened again before doing the only thing he could in that moment. Leaning down, he sealed his mouth over Decal's as best he could and tried his damnest to get the little brown breathing again.  
'Oh god, please.' he uttered, coming up for a breath before having another go. Coming up again, he adjusted Decal's head again and tried once more. This time he was rewarded and as he pulled back, Decal coughed and moved, eyes blinking open. Sitting back, Zeke felt like he was hacking up a lung as he coughed but at least Decal was still with him.  
'You alright? Spit it out man.' he nodded, coughing again as Decal rolled on the ground for a moment then fell back onto his back.

Looking up at Zeke, Decal managed a faint smile and choked on a laugh, relieved to be alive. That set Zeke off and he couldn't hold it in, the relieved laughter spilling out of him. Coughing up the dust still, Decal managed a smile and a few snorts of laughter.  
'Are you alright?' Zeke asked among the chuckles.  
'Yeah, I will be.' Decal nodded, seeing the faint trace of fear still lingering in Zeke's eyes.  
'God, you scared me half to death.' Zeke nodded, still chuckling as Decal sat up slowly and dug his bandana out of the dirt, shook it out then wiped his face.  
'Sorry 'bout that. Come on, we'd better start digging our way out of here.' Decal sighed, coughing up another lungful of crud before getting to his knees and crawling over to the cave in.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Firmly restrained, Falcon could do nothing but watch and pray for Decal's survival as the three so called tunnel combat experts marched over to the tunnel mouth.  
'I don't trust these guys, they aren't prepared.' he muttered, hanging his head.  
'These guys are the best; Captain Wallace wouldn't have called for them otherwise. We're not the only ones who are risking a friend, Zeke is still down there.' Braid replied, keeping one hand firmly on Falcon's shoulder.  
'That is exactly why the real experts should be down there. We grew up in tunnels, they're our second home. This lot doesn't know what it's like when you're on the other side of tunnel warfare.' Falcon argued, trying to dislodge the guys holding him down.  
'Let Captain Wallace try things his way and if that doesn't work, we'll take our turn. We will get them back Falcon, no fear there.' Raider nodded, shifting so his weight was more square on Falcon's shoulders.  
'Can I at least pick who goes down after my special little friend?' Falcon asked, glancing at Slash.  
'Remember, only those under six feet six can fit. So you can't go down there Falcon. Apart from that, pick your best four.' Slash nodded, motioning for the rest of the group to get off Falcon.  
'Splat, Chain, Shard and Ghost.' Falcon replied, pushing his bulk out of the mud and sitting up.  
'Explosives tech, security, medic and gunner, a wise set Falcon. Alright you four, you're up if this plan fails.' Slash grinned, watching as Falcon walked away from the entrance sadly.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Scraping away the dirt and rubble, Decal tried to ignore his aching lungs and keep digging but eventually another coughing fit pushed him back and down. Sinking back against the wall, he hung his head and coughed, trying to shift the dust out of his lungs.  
'Hey, you alright?' Zeke asked, swinging around to sit beside him.  
'Yeah, I'll be alright in a minute.' Decal replied, still working on clearing his lungs.  
'You sure?' Decal nodded, wishing Falcon was there to lend a hand with clearing his lungs.  
'Three tours and this is a new one. Stuck in a VC tunnel with a mouse who knows more about this kind of warfare than I do.' Zeke remarked, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little.  
'Could be worse, you could be stuck down here with someone who can't keep their head on straight.' Decal replied, finally getting his coughing back under control.  
'True. Don't think I could handle that though.' Zeke shrugged, trying to guess how much more they had to dig through.  
'Come on, let's dig.' Decal grinned, climbing back up the slope and getting back to their attempt to tunnel out of the fine mess they'd gotten into.

They'd barely been digging more than a minute before Decal felt the change.  
'Hey, we're getting close. We're getting real close.' he cheered, still clawing at the rubble but he was pulling more rocks now which gave him hope.  
'What have you got?' Zeke asked, trying to keep up with Decal's frantic pace.  
'I got air! Alright, air!' Decal grinned, clawing the last stones away to open up the entrance.  
'Don't hog it boy, don't hog it.' Zeke called, scrambling up to get a lungful. 'That's the best bad air I've smelt in my life.'

Ears pricked again, Decal could just hear the voices from somewhere down the tunnel.  
'Shorland! Anderson! Anybody there?'  
'Hey, over here!' Decal replied, leaning forward a little more.  
'Hey!' Zeke added, pressed in close to Decal so they could both see out the small gap.  
'Yo! Over here!' Decal continued, scrabbling to open the gap more.  
'Anderson! Shorland!'  
'Yeah, yeah, over here!' Decal confirmed, grinning at Zeke.  
'Be careful, they got wires strung everywhere.' Zeke nodded, relief coursing through him again.  
'Yeah, we see it. Just relax while we disarm this.'

#$~$#@#$~$#

Ducking back, the four man team up top covered their heads as debris raced out of the tunnel and into the sky.  
'Now you'll see how the real tunnel experts do the job. Splat, you're on point. Ghost, I want you behind me and Shard in the rear.' Chain ordered; face a blank slate as they headed into the tunnel.

Keeping low to the ground Splat disarmed several explosives before reaching the epicentre of the last explosion.  
'Decal! Zeke! You guys still alive down here?' Chain called, stepping past the three mangled bodies of the human tunnel experts.  
'Yeah, over here Chain. Get outta here, we'll make our own way up. I ain't letting anyone else die for us.' Decal replied; worming his way through the hole they'd dug in the rubble.  
'Captain's orders, we all get out together.' Chain shot back, moving aside as Ghost and Shard picked up the first body and carried it back to the exit.  
'Two minutes, just got to make this hole big enough for Zeke to squeeze his big behind out.' Decal nodded, hands a blur as he started digging.  
'Hey, it was my big behind that saved your life back there midget.' Zeke barked but there was no anger in his words.  
'Come on Zeke, just dig.' Decal chuckled, careful of where he flicked the rubble he pulled clear.

Grunting with the effort, Zeke soon wriggled free and hustled over to help with the clean up, still shocked by what he'd been through but feeling much closer to the littlest brown after everything they'd been through together.  
'I officially hate VC tunnels; give me the hell of the ones back home any day over this mess.' Decal sighed, picking up the last body with Zeke and heading for the exit.

Zeke was first up, handing the dead man off to Plate and ducking as he was eased from the hole. The moment Decal came into view, Falcon took a knee and wrapped his powerful arms around him, lifting him up without a problem.  
'Come on Dec, this one is over for you.' he uttered, setting Decal down and leaving the group.  
'You don't have to tell me twice Falcon; I ain't going back down there.' Decal agreed, sinking to the ground and leaning against his closest friend.

Over at the hole, they dragged the lucky survivor out and handed him to the medics.  
'Ah, the hell with it. I say we got 'em all.' Rusty sighed, looking down into the darkness.  
'I know a couple guys who might disagree with ya, like Taylor.' Zeke replied, still eager for more after all this.  
'Zeke, we were lucky to get you and Decal out. We're through here.' Rusty snapped; the strain of this misadventure telling. 'If the Colonel doesn't believe me, he can crawl down there and check for himself. Come on, let's get the hell outta here.' he added, pushing to his feet.

Amid much grumbling and complaining, the two platoons grabbed their gear and saddled up to leave. Decal managed three steps before his ordeal caught up with him but before anyone could suggest he go back with the wounded, Falcon sunk to his knees and gently hoisted Decal out of the mud and took his pack off before laying the exhausted mouse over his shoulders.  
'Sleep brave warrior, I'll take care of you.' he uttered, rifle held in his right hand as his left kept a firm grip on Decal's belt so he couldn't slide off.  
'I'll take that bro.' Plate nodded, wrapping his hand through the straps of Decal's gear.  
'Thanks bro.' Falcon grinned, lowering his hand so Plate could take the webbing.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Making their way through the long grass, most of the guys were fairly relaxed, weapons lowered but eyes and ears peeled for any problems. Decal muttered softly on Falcon's shoulders, tail wrapped around Falcon's arm loosely to keep him balanced. Then, from out of nowhere, shots rang out.  
'Ambush!' More shots and Sidewinder recognised the voice this time. 'Ambush!'  
'Take cover!' Zeke called, already diving for the grass.  
'Alright, take cover!' Myron howled, heading for the other side of the track.  
'Take cover!' Slash cried, rolling in mid air so he landed on his back, rifle up and ready.

Even though they had lost the advantage, the VC opened fire, peppering the length of the double column. Popping up from their landing positions, the platoons returned fire as one, covering and supporting each other without a word spoken among them. Chaos and Chain moved in to cover Falcon, giving the impressing of four men firing as Falcon grabbed the blooper and dropped a round right in the thick of things. Center Line and Ruiz moved as one, spraying the enemy line with heavy, concentrated fire.  
'We've got them on the run!' Bonfire hollered, launching another grenade into the chaos.  
'Keep 'em running!' Raider added, taking down two more with another of his crazy contraptions that always gave amazing results.  
'It's Taylor!' Sidewinder called; turning and pointing up the slope.  
'What? Are you sure?' Johnson asked, turning to the tall white.  
'I'd recognise his voice anywhere. Did you think these big ears were just for show or something?' Sidewinder grinned, getting to his feet and running up to where Taylor was standing.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Returning to the village, Falcon found a quiet spot and sat, shifting Decal into his lap. Ruiz had found a pig somewhere and now had it on the spit, filling the air with delightful smells. The Demo boys had brought in a good pile of explosives and were planning on closing up the tunnel but no one really believed it would work.  
'I smell food.' Decal muttered, brilliant blue eyes blinking open.  
'Yep, Ru's roastin' a pig. How do you feel now you've had a little nap?' Falcon grinned, hoisting Decal up onto his back and grabbing his gear before heading over to see how the meal was going.  
'Still exhausted but I reckon I can make it back to base.' Decal sighed, laying his head on Falcon's shoulder tiredly.  
'I don't mind carrying ya home little buddy.' Falcon nodded, taking the slice Ru offered him and passing it to Decal before taking one for himself.  
'Might take you up on that bro, my legs feel like jello still.' Decal agreed, tail wrapping around Falcon's shoulders as he enjoyed the meat.  
'Here Dec, my special treatment for shaken nerves.' Revs grinned, handing Decal a small bottle.  
'Only an idiot would turn that down Revs.' Decal chuckled, taking the bottle and downing a big gulp before handing it back.  
'So long as you're not driving home.' Revs winked, taking his share of the meat and walking off.  
'Nah got myself a taxi home.' Decal called after him, mindful of Falcon's ear.  
'Cheeky little thing.' Revs shot back, pouring a ladle of water down his shirt.  
'Hey Dec, you want this back?' Plate asked, holding up his webbing and weapon.  
'Yeah, I'd better.' Decal nodded, leaning back and taking the offered gear. Falcon reached up and grabbed Decal's shirtfront to anchor his perch as Decal slipped his webbing on and secured it before draping himself back over Falcon's shoulders.  
'Any discomfort?' Decal uttered, getting comfortable among Falcon's gear.  
'Nope, you're all good.' Falcon replied, grabbing another piece of meat for them both before walking off, happy to have Decal back with him.

Spotting the pair, Zeke couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He wasn't sure what their connection was but he could see they were very close and used to doing things like that.  
'Hey LT, check out Falcon and Decal.' he uttered, nudging the younger man gently.  
'I'd say that's the true definition of friendship.' Myron remarked, smiling softly as Decal wrapped his arm around Falcon's neck and lay his head down.  
'Yep, gotta agree with ya there. Little guy could use a leg up, it was rough down there.' Zeke nodded, snagging another piece of pork as Ruiz offered the knife around, several slices threaded onto the blade.  
'How are you holding up?' Myron asked, politely refusing before turning his focus back to the pair, smiling as he heard Falcon laugh.  
'I'm not the one who picked up a live grenade or got half buried in a collapse. That said; I do still owe Decal for getting my big behind out of that mess, as he so politely put it.' Zeke shrugged, finishing his meat and shoving his hands in his pockets.  
'He's got a sense of humour that one.' Myron agreed, wandering away to check on the guys.

Lifting his head sharply, Decal reached back and patted his pockets, finding his trophy right where it should have been.  
'Something wrong Decal?' Percell asked, watching the pair.  
'Nope, I've still got my trophy from that hell.' Decal grinned, pulling the bag out and opening it, lifting the headless body out.  
'What you got there Dec?' Falcon asked, reaching up and taking the snake carcass, admiring the soft colours.  
'Zeke called it a Two-Step. Apparently if it bites you, you take two steps then die.' Decal explained, watching the way some of the guys recoiled.  
'Why did you keep that thing?' Myron asked, eyeing the carcass critically.  
'I'm allowed trophies. Besides, I know Falcon can do something creative with it.' Decal replied, laying his head back on Falcon's shoulder.  
'I can probably tan this and turn it into a really sweet wristband for ya. It's taken some damage but that's only to be expected.' Falcon nodded, putting it back in the bag and handing it back to Decal. Leaning back a little, Decal stashed his trophy in Falcon's pack, making sure it couldn't fall out and get lost.  
'Feh, compared to the Death Viper, your Two-Step is tame.' Sidewinder snorted, shucking his fatigues shirt to reveal the black and brown snakeskin band around his arm.  
'What's so scary about the Death Viper, apart from its name?' Zeke asked, falling into step beside Falcon and Decal.  
'If a Death Viper bites you, you'd better have your affairs in order. You'll be dead before the snake even finishes injecting its venom.' Revs shrugged, having seen people bitten by the treacherous creature before.  
'Damn, I'm glad we don't have anything quite that deadly here.' Baker breathed, staring at the black medic in disbelief.


	4. A Moment In Time

Running one hand through her filthy fur, Christine wandered over to the showers and stepped in, hanging her towel over the door before reaching up to turn on the spray. Beside her, Rusty jumped and turned his back, manners coming out full force.  
'She's a married woman, I mustn't look. She's a married woman, I mustn't look.' he uttered, one hand raised to block his view as he turned back.  
'Something wrong Captain?' Christine asked, acting as though nothing was strange about the situation as she lathered up her fur and worked on turning it back from rusty red to white.  
'No, everything's fine Chris.' Rusty replied, trying to make things feel more relaxed by shortening her name like everyone else did.  
'Uh oh, he's going red Chris.' Emily teased, coming up on Rusty's other side and starting the shower.  
'Look and get flattened. Look and get flattened. God, this wasn't included in my training.' Rusty swore, trying his best to avoid looking at the naked women on either side of him.  
'Chill out Rusty, we talked it over and decided that incidental looks are fine. Hell, we're in a war, might as well have something nice to look at occasionally. Just keep your hands off and you'll be fine.' Blade chuckled, grinning at Christine as he stepped in and turned on another shower.  
'I'm not stupid; Braid will flatten me if I look at his naked wife.' Rusty argued but he did risk a quick look in Emily's direction. She just grinned and went back to washing off the dust and sweat, unconcerned about all the stares she was getting.  
'Hey Em, hey Chris.' Zeke called, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the moment.  
'You're okay with this Zeke?' Rusty asked; one hand up to block his view again.  
'Remember, I share a tent with Emily. Once we got past the "oh my god, there's a half naked woman in my tent" moment, we got on fine. I'm allowed to look but not touch which is just fine by all concerned.' Zeke replied, eyes raking over Emily's glistening body. 'Besides, I keep thinking about getting flattened by Falcon and the urge to touch vanishes.'

Swallowing nervously, Rusty dropped his hand and let his gaze linger on Emily's body as she scrubbed up, water cascading through her short hair and down her back.  
'Damn, this no touching part is hard.' he muttered, fists clenched in an attempt to control himself. Turning slowly, Emily let her gaze travel in return and smirked.  
'That's not the only thing that's hard.' she commented, gaze dropping below his waist. Face going bright red; Rusty dropped his hands in a flash, trying to cover up.  
'Yup, typical hot blooded male.' Christine nodded, turning her back so Rusty could have a moment to compose himself.  
'You're not alone there Sir, I can promise you that.' Zeke added, forcing his eyes away from Emily before he wound up in the same boat.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Finding a quiet spot to sit, Christine and Emily were happy to watch the rest of the base pass them by as they soaked up the sun and Christine dried her fur a little more.  
'I've been thinking Em.' Christine grinned, slipping her earrings back into place in her left ear and making sure they were secure.  
'Uh-oh. I get the feeling I'm about to get into a situation I'm not gonna like.' Emily groaned, adjusting her bandana and turning to Christine properly.  
'Possibly but then, you've always been such a caring woman. I saw that the moment you rescued me from that burning ship.' Christine shrugged, waving to Braid as he walked past with a roll of tangle foot.  
'Okay, let's hear this thought of yours. I swear; I'd better not get into trouble because of you.' Emily sighed, spotting Rusty and chuckling as he blushed and hurried into his tent. 'He really needs to relax around us.'  
'Back home, we had a special day every month called Hugs Day or Share The Love Day depending on the area. It was a way to raise morale and brighten up the day of those on the front lines. It's a simple enough thing and it really does those guys a lot of good.' Christine nodded, remembering times gone by when she'd been in the thick of things.  
'Okay, so what's this day all about?' Emily asked, wary but warning up to the idea slowly.  
'Random affection. Everything goes on as normal then, when no one is expecting it, you go up and hug someone tight, maybe even give them a little peck on the cheek. It's a way to show the guys that someone cares about them, even in the hell of war. I would get involved with the celebration but I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea.' Christine explained; shirt resting on her lap as the sun dried her back completely.  
'It won't be easy to get some of the guys but I can probably work something out. How about this, you go hug our boys. I'll deal with the rest of the guys. I dread to think how some will react to getting hugged by a married woman when her hubby is that damn big.' Emily offered, taking the brush from Christine's hand and moving to start brushing out the silky white fur on Christine's back, unpicking knots and smoothing it out nicely.  
'That would work but remember; you've only got until sundown to hug as many guys as you can. Dawn til dusk is the time, go to it.' Christine chuckled, taking the brush and rising.  
'Now you tell me. Oh man, this is not going to be easy.' Emily groused; turning and jogging in the opposite direction, mind whirling to come up with a plan.

Spotting Randy Matsuda sitting on a sandbag wall and talking with some of the guys, Emily slowed and walked over to them, plopping down beside the medic.  
'Heard you embarrassed the Captain earlier Em.' Johnson grinned, taking a seat and pulling out his canteen.  
'He's still trying to adjust to women on a firebase in a combat role.' Emily shrugged then casually wrapped her arms around Randy, pulling him into a gentle hug.  
'Whoa. Who are you and what have you done with our friend Emily?' Taylor asked, staring at her in wonder.  
'It's a special day according to Chris. Once a month they have what they call Hugs Day. It's all about random affection.' Emily grinned, turning her focus to Johnson.  
'Well, if you can't beat them, join them.' Johnson shrugged, willingly accepting the hug, the simple act of holding a woman doing heaps to put a smile on his face.  
'See, brightens up the day, doesn't it?' Emily chuckled, pulling back and turning to Taylor.  
'Yeah, what a great idea.' Randy agreed; smiling softly as Emily hugged Taylor close.  
'Only catch is I've got until sundown to get as many guys as I can.' Emily added, releasing Taylor and jogging off to find her next target.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Smirking slightly, Emily spotted Zeke and Myron talking and ambled over to them, giving no hint as to her intentions.  
'I still can't believe Captain Wallace went red like that.' Zeke grinned, moving over so Emily could join them.  
'He'll come around, just give him time.' she replied, bypassing Zeke to wrap her arms around Myron's shoulders from behind. 'Happy Hugs Day - it's a Martian thing.' she added, squeezing gently. Myron glancing at Zeke before reaching back and wrapping his arms around her waist.  
'Happy Hugs Day to you as well Emily.' he grinned, looking up at her. Easing back, Emily sat beside him and tried again, this one much more relaxed.  
'I'm guessing Chris put ya up to this.' Zeke commented, waiting his turn patiently.  
'Yep but I got the easier half of the challenge. She's got to hug all the guys from 14 before dusk; I've got the human contingent on base.' Emily nodded, pulling away from Myron slowly before turning and perching on Zeke's lap.  
'Happy Hugs Day Emily.' he grinned, hugging her tight and relaxing into the gentle contact.  
'Happy Hugs Day Zeke.' she replied, laying her head on his shoulder lightly.  
'Bless the Martians, they have the best customs.' Myron added, spotting Christine as she ran over and hugged Blade tight before moving on.  
'Any clue how you're going to catch Captain Wallace?' Zeke asked, releasing Emily and helping her back to her feet.  
'Yep but it's going to require some very sneaky tactics. He still can't look at me so I have to play my cards just right.' Emily replied, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Zeke's temple before turning and darting off.  
'How come I didn't get a kiss?' Myron complained, getting to his feet. Spinning around Cosmo, Emily returned and planted a kiss on his forehead before darting off again.  
'I think she reserves those for the special ones.' Zeke teased, a little stunned by Emily's easy affection towards all her friends.

Sliding to a stop, Emily threw up the dust and instantly threw her arms around Danny, squeezing tight. Blinking stupidly for a moment, Danny returned the hug, feeling the weight leave his shoulders as he held Emily.  
'What's the deal Em?' Slash asked, keeping one eye on Christine as she hugged Falcon and Decal.  
'Today has been declared Hugs Day by Christine.' Emily replied, smiling at Danny for a moment before catching Ru and holding him close.  
'Ah, that explains everything.' Slash grinned, turning and walking off to find Bonfire.  
'Hugs Day?' Baker asked, looking to his friends for support when Emily pulled him into a hug.  
'It's a Martian thing.' Danny shrugged, whistling softly as he wandered off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

By mid-afternoon, Emily had gotten through just about everyone on base, leaving her just two on her list.  
'Hey Em, what's the Hugs Day I've been hearing about?' Roger asked, jogging over to her as she took a breather from her labours.  
'A morale booster, Christine told me about it. It's a day that celebrates random affection and lets those on the front lines know someone cares.' Emily explained, welcoming the hug Roger offered. Laying her head on his shoulder, Emily enjoyed the slow moment, mind still tumbling over the last name on her list.  
'I like this day, makes a nice change from the war out there beyond the wire.' Roger nodded, cupping her head lightly.  
'Yeah, it sure does.' Emily agreed, dropping a soft kiss on his nose before pulling away and walking off.

Circling her last challenge from a distance, Emily tried to come up with a plan that would keep everyone happy. She knew it wouldn't be hard to sneak in and ambush Rusty but she would rather give him the choice. He was already struggling to come back from the incident in the shower and the last thing Emily wanted was to scare him away completely.  
'How's your list going Em?' Christine asked, catching up with the older woman.  
'Just got one left but he's going to be one tough nut to crack. Everyone else was easy but now I have to try and get close to Captain Wallace again.' Emily shrugged, never taking her eyes off Rusty's tent.  
'Tread lightly Emily, something's got him running scared.' Christine uttered, draping one arm around Emily's shoulders.  
'I know. I just hope I can turn things around. That guy needs someone to prop him up before he goes off in a spectacular fashion that could very well equal or surpass the one Blade had the day after we lost Terry and Steve.' Emily nodded, spotting movement in the tent. 'I gotta try Chris; I can't let that fine man go to pieces.'  
'Go Emily, follow your heart. You are the only one who can do this.' Christine replied, walking away as Emily buttoned up her shirt and headed in the other direction.

Pausing in the door, she whispered something in Blade's ear before entering the tent, doing her best to stay calm and relaxed.  
'Captain Wallace, can we talk for a moment?' she asked softly, glancing back to make sure Blade was keeping everyone else away.  
'I'm a little busy Emily, can this wait?' he tried, not looking up from the paperwork spread out in front of him. Taking the chance, Emily walked over and came around the desk, laying her hand over Rusty's lightly.  
'For your sake, this can't wait. I've spent enough time around officers to know you're on the edge. It's in your eyes, the way you move, your voice and everything you do. You're trying to keep everything together but you're being pushed too far and too hard. Talk to me Rusty, let me help you get back on your feet before you go too far. I've seen what happens when leaders reach that limit and are pushed one last time. Let me help you before you wind up in a body bag. Please, don't become another casualty of this damn war.' Emily pleaded, lifting Rusty's hands and drawing his focus away from the workload on his desk.  
'I could have you up on charges of insubordination Emily.' Rusty warned, lifting his gaze slowly.  
'I know but you won't do that. Secretly, you want to reach out and take the help so freely offered but you're worried about what other people might think. It's time for you to stop worrying about what others think and take care of yourself for once. I may only be a Staff Sergeant but I've seen more than Zeke or Myron or anyone else on this base.' Emily grinned, pulling Rusty to his feet and away from his desk. 'Let go, before this fucking stupid war pulls you apart.'

Trembling slightly, Rusty hung his head and inched closer, sliding his arms up Emily's arms until he held her to his chest lightly.  
'Don't let me fall Emily, please don't let me fall.' Rusty uttered, shakes getting worse.  
'Shhh, you're safe now. I'll keep you together, keep you strong and set you back on your feet. It's going to be okay, I give you my word.' Emily soothed, rubbing his back lightly.  
'I can't do this anymore Emily. I can't keep being the rock for this unit.' Rusty nodded, hiding his face in Emily's neck.  
'You don't have to bear that burden alone anymore. If you ever need to scream your frustrations out or release your anger in a sparring match, I'm here. You are my friend and I care about you so much. At any moment, you are welcome to shift your burden to me, for any reason. I'll deal with command if you need a breather. I can brief troops if you're snowed under in here. I'll handle rescue ops if you don't feel strong enough. Put your faith in me, I've dealt with all the stress you're going through.' Emily promised, easing back just a little so she could look Rusty in the eyes, reaching up to trace her fingers through his hair.  
'You should have been a Lieutenant.' Rusty grinned, turning his head to cover a yawn.  
'Probably but Sergeants fit with the men better. Now you need to go get some rest, Blade can deal with things while you recharge your batteries.' Emily shrugged, shouldering her rifle and heading for the exit.  
'There's something else I need to get off my chest…so long as you don't mind.' Rusty sighed, grabbing his own rifle and trailing Emily back into the sun.  
'Not here, anyone could overhear us. Come on, you need to rest.' Emily replied, pausing at the entrance and turning to Blade. 'I'm making a call above my rank Blade, I need your support. I'm taking Captain Wallace off duty for the rest of the day, he's exhausted.' she uttered, keeping one eye on the exhausted Captain as he headed for his rack.  
'No sweat Emily, I've got you both covered. I can handle things with Myron and Slash.' Blade nodded, waving Slash over so the message could be passed down the ranks.  
'If you need help, don't be afraid to call for me, you know I'm capable. Only call for Captain Wallace if you're really stuck.' Emily instructed; turning and hustling after Rusty.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sinking onto his rack, Rusty pulled a battered letter from his top pocket and held it out to Emily. Sitting beside him, Emily took the letter and unfolded it, eyes scanning down the page. Sighing softly, she folded the letter again and held it loosely in her hand as she wrapped her right arm around his shoulders.  
'No one deserves that kind of letter in a place like this. She wasn't right for you, it's that simple. It felt right but if she's not willing to wait, she doesn't deserve your love. You deserve a woman who will wait for you, no matter how long you're away.' Emily sighed, squeezing gently.  
'I just don't know what I'm going to do now. I loved her, she was amazing.' Rusty uttered, hanging his head sadly.  
'You'll find your perfect match one day Rusty, it's all a matter of time. Don't worry about that now; your responsibility is to the men here, not the women back in the world. Hush now, lay back and close your eyes, everything will be okay. I'll take care of things, you just rest.' Emily coaxed, moving to sit on Blade's rack as Rusty untied his boots and stretched out, rifle leaning against the wall by his head.  
'What would I do without you Em?' he muttered, rolling over and getting comfortable.  
'Not worth thinking about. Shhh, no more sound, close off and sleep. Shhh, drift away and dream of home.' Emily whispered, running her fingers through his hair again, humming softly to coax Rusty's overworked mind to shut down.

Shuffling a little more, Rusty muttered something incoherent and drifted off to sleep, pistol still secure on his belt as he curled up a little. Emily smiled softly and pulled the covers over him before closing the mozzie net and sitting back.  
'If only I didn't have to worry about leaving you Rusty.' she muttered, getting comfortable on Blade's bunk and relaxing, constantly alert for any changes in Rusty's behaviour.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Snorting softly, Rusty lifted his head and ran one hand over his face, blinking slowly in the low light of the evening.  
'Feel better?' Emily asked, lifting her head from her knees.  
'Yeah. How long was I down for?' Rusty enquired, sitting up and folding the mozzie net back.  
'Six hours give or take. Nothing of interest to report, Slash came with hourly updates.' Emily grinned, stretching out her legs and turning to set her feet on the floor.  
'Didn't realise I was that damn tired. Didn't expect you to stick around either.' Rusty sighed, hunting around for his pipe. Emily chuckled and held it up, along with his tobacco and lighter.  
'You left it on your desk; Myron brought it over when he came to let me know he was taking a mixed platoon out on patrol. Figured it was smart to stick around, you stirred in your sleep a couple times.' Emily shrugged, handing the items over and pulling out her cigarettes.  
'Bad dreams.' Rusty uttered, busying his hands with his pipe.  
'I know. We all get 'em. Hungry?' Emily nodded, lacing her boots up and easing to her feet.  
'Yeah, even C-rats look god right about now.' Rusty chuckled, pulling his boots on and grabbing his rifle.  
'I'm sure Chris was able to come up with something a little more appetising than that. Come on, she'll be in her hasty kitchen over this way.' Emily grinned, amazed by the change a long nap had brought around.

Wandering through camp, Emily felt comfortable walking in Rusty's shadow and sighed softly, waving to Blade and Slash.  
'Now that there's two of you here, you can afford to take the odd day to yourself. Blade's more than capable of handling things and I know how much the boys from 14 respect you.' she grinned, turning to look as the choppers returned to base and set down, tired and battered men and mice climbing out side by side.  
'I can't thank you enough for today Em, I feel completely refreshed.' Rusty nodded, also watching the returning troops.  
'I shouldn't have to tell you to take some time off Sir. You've got Blade to handle the higher stuff and can always unload the burden onto my shoulders. I may be a woman but I'm strong enough to handle that.' Emily nodded, turning away from the sight and resuming their casual walk to where Christine had set up a little kitchen and was turning out a hot meal for everyone.  
'Point taken Emily. I'll try not to put too much on your shoulders; you've got your own responsibilities to attend to.' Rusty agreed, falling into step beside her.  
'Honestly, it's not a problem. Back home, I keep up with work, play my role as sole breadwinner, council the guys that need it, act as Blade's sounding board, spar with the boys and still have the energy to pull a couple shifts with different sections and get my own work done. I can handle the extra stress and strain of helping out with your duties on top of my own. I already double check Myron and Slash's after mission reports and Blade's command reports too. I may bend but I won't break.' Emily sighed, joining the line for grub and enjoying the familiar scents of a hot meal.

Shuffling along with the line, Rusty considered Emily's words carefully, wondering why Myron would want someone to read over his reports before he submitted them.  
'I've never had a problem with Goldman's reports, they're always concise and direct.' Rusty shrugged, mouth watering at the delightful smells pouring from the kitchen.  
'It's not to correct him, more so I can make suggestions based on my experiences back home. Here, women are restrained to the rear but when I come from, women are valued as front line soldiers. I've seen things that no one should have to see and put up with.' Emily explained; admiring the stew on offer as Christine dished up a serve.  
'And I'm grateful for the information Emily can provide.' Myron added, slotting into the line behind them.  
'How was it out there Goldman?' Rusty asked, finding a spot to sit as the rest of the men lined up for a meal.  
'Pretty quiet actually. We found another VC patrol and dealt with them. The Intel we gathered is already in Blade's hands.' Myron shrugged, eyeing the meat warily.  
'Don't panic LT, I know you're Jewish. It's chicken and beef, no pork anywhere.' Christine called, looking up from the big pot she had on the boil.  
'Thank you Christine.' Myron grinned, settling down beside Emily and Rusty.  
'I pay attention, nothing more.' Christine nodded, snagging another ladle and picking up the pace to get everyone fed and satisfied.  
'Where the heck did she get chicken and beef in this place?' Rusty muttered, chewing thoughtfully on a lump of meat.  
'Don't ask. You don't want to know how Chris pulls off her feats of culinary magic. Just accept she's done the impossible and move on.' Emily replied, wiping a drop of gravy off her chin.  
'Fair warning Em.' Rusty nodded, shuffling over to make room for Zeke and Bonfire to join them on the wall.  
'Should I hold that open for ya Sir?' Emily teased; content to be squished in between Zeke and Rusty. Looking down, Rusty realised how close they were and chuckled, closing the gap a little more before going back to his meal.  
'Any closer and people will think you're trying to get in my pocket Em.' he shot back, quickly wiping a drop of gravy off his nose.  
'You're the one who moved closer to me. Anyone would think you want me to sit on ya lap.' Emily sniggered, listening to the laughter around them.  
'Heck, who turns down a pretty lady?' Rusty grinned, setting his fork down and wrapping one arm around Emily's shoulders.  
'Aww shucks.' Emily blushed, nudging him away gently.  
'I'll never understand how you can relax anyone around you Em.' Dakota remarked, leaning against Zeke's legs comfortably.  
'It's a gift.' Emily shrugged, stretching her legs out in invitation.  
'Comfy there?' Zeke asked, looking down at Dakota with a grin.  
'Yep, better than leaning against Tona's bony shins.' Dakota nodded, shifting over as Daytona and Tar settled against Emily's legs, pressed shoulder to shoulder.  
'Might as well get used to it Zeke, you're part of this crazy family now. Leaning against each other is a way to reaffirm the fact everyone is still around. Emily chuckled, looking up as someone's arm landed on her shoulder. 'Tank! When did you get back?'  
'This arvo. Caught a ride back with the boys picking up LT's platoon.' Tank grinned, ruffling her hair affectionately.  
'Can't keep a good soldier down.' Hammer and Kawasaki called in unison, sandwiching Percell between them.  
'Damn straight.' Tank agreed, wiping a drip off Rusty's shoulder quickly.  
'Great, now I'm playing napkin.' Rusty grinned, looking up at Tank.  
'From what I've heard, it could be worse. You could be playing crash mat.' Randy replied, sinking down beside Revs, then getting squashed in by Shift and Shard.  
'Believe me, that's no fun.' Speed nodded, landing beside Horn only to get stuck between him and Carbon with Black leaning on his shoulder.  
'I still remember the day I played crash mat. Word from the wise, if you see these guys wrestling, run in the other direction.' Emily nodded, squeezing up a little more so Taylor could join them on the sandbags.  
'I'll keep that in mind.' Rusty replied, glancing at Ruiz as he crammed in between Visor and Metric, back resting against his legs. Reaching out, Rusty squeezed his shoulder lightly, letting him know it was okay to use him for a backrest.  
'Ah, the sight of a happy family.' Christine sighed, lugging a fresh pot over from the side fire before handing Baker a special meal.  
'I pity the fool who turns down your cooking Chris.' Strap called, settling against Taylor as Baker pressed his back to Braid's contentedly.  
'I don't thing there's anyone here stupid enough to turn down a freshly cooked meal.' Streaks added, settling beside Johnson with Raider at their backs.  
'Anyone who does must have a deathwish. Hell hath no fury like a chef whose food is refused.' Slash nodded, leaning against Myron's legs as Blade stepped over Odd Ball and slipped in beside him, grinning at his younger brother.

#$~$#@#$~$#

With the meal over, Braidy retrieved something from his tent and returned to the group, getting settled as the group put their dishes down and relaxed, cigarettes sparking into life all around the area as the guys got comfortable. Lifting his head, Braidy looked around slowly before he started to play, guitar and voice in harmony as he lifted his voice. Shifting closer, Emission laid his head against Braidy's leg and joined in the song, voices dancing in the still night air.  
'Machla ke rul nomasha te ke rul turelashi maka luri Ashira. Myi rela noma colm uha mou uha.'

Smiling softly, Revs looped his arm around Randy's shoulders as Shift inched closer and added his voice to the song, the ancient words wrapping around the humans as the mice pulled them close, arms looping around shoulders all through the team.  
'Ashira, nore la mechina ke rula. Ashira, yoma kury mentreli. Mentra kurali sencha. Mentra kurali sencha. Scherlla ko nola ve serila.'

Laying her head on Zeke's shoulder, Emily reached behind him and took Taylor's hand in her left as she slid her right arm around Rusty's waist. Smiling softly, Rusty inched closer and reached up to lay his hand on Tank's lightly.  
'Menca lo neri sha lom lica. Retruri lasha mo crisa ba lori ka noshi. Tormi sha chrisla, meca no zoma woire.'

Slowly the song wound down and Braidy packed his guitar away, one hand resting on Emission's shoulder lightly.  
'As much as I'd like to go through more of the song, Charlie won't give us the time.' he offered, turning his hidden gaze to Blade.  
'Another time Braidy. Move it guys, we've still got work to do.' Blade ordered, getting up and heading for the CP bunker.  
'Emily, what was the song about?' Rusty asked softly as he headed for the defences, feeling like pulling a night shift to let the guys know he was with them and supported them without fault or complaint, no matter the time or situation.  
'It's an ancient Martian song. The first SAU sang it as they stood upon the battlefield outside the capital, Brimstone City. It praises the great protector Ares and memorialises those lost in the line of duty. Each SAU adds their own verses after the main song to make it suit them better and will write those verses down in English, modern Martian and ancient Martian to keep the song going for many generations yet to come.' Emily explained, slipping her helmet on and sliding her rifle off her shoulder.  
'Amazing, I've never heard of anything like that before.' Rusty remarked, dropping to his knees and resting his rifle on the sandbags.  
'Each unit also writes a ballad of their experiences from the day they are put together to the day they are finally disbanded and the title of their unit retired. That won't happen until over seventy percent of the guys are too old to continue the battle or are killed in the line of duty. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this side story to their action makes it into that ballad.' Emily added, settling beside Rusty and starting to scan the treeline as some of the guys headed out to man the early warning posts.


	5. Pushin' Too Hard

Smiling softly as she looked over her shoulder, Emily nodded to Blade, Slash and Bonfire as they hung back before turning her focus to the demonstration in front. The guys were staying back because they didn't want to risk singed fur but at the same time, they were interested in the new weapon on display. Well, it was new to Wallace, Goldman and Anderson but back home; Emily had the seriously upgraded version.

Sidling up beside Rusty, Emily brought her arm up as cover as the man with the flamethrower opened fire quite literally, showing the range of the weapon.  
'Well, at least I won't have to trim my nose hairs for a while.' Goldman remarked, turning his face away from the next blast.  
'When do you ever?' Emily asked as Zeke laughed.  
'The Bin Kay valley's a great place to use it. There's supposed to be some tunnels up there, possibly some caves.' Rusty remarked, turning his gaze north.  
'Uh-oh, I smell trouble.' Blade uttered, instantly wary of the situation.  
'Isn't that where you got wounded?' Zeke asked, nodding slowly at Blade's words.  
'Yeah, I'm feeling real sentimental about going back. Especially with the added firepower. Besides, it'll put on a good show for that reporter that's coming with us.' Rusty nodded, ignoring the comments from behind them.  
'Well, looks like you're on your own this time Myron. Bonfire; spread the word to 14, everybody into the bunkers. We can't let the folks back in the world see us.' Slash ordered, already on the move to head for cover.  
'Hold it boys, I'll handle this. If that reporter gets you on film, he's dead, the cameraman is dead and so is the editor. No one is going to find out about you that don't need to know about you.' Emily promised, turning her back on Rusty so his warning glare didn't get through.  
'Reporter?' Myron asked, totally focused on Rusty.  
'Comin' with us?' Zeke added, deeply concerned about this new danger.  
'You guys are gonna look real good on the evening news.' Rusty grinned, understanding the promise in Emily's words and just hoping he could keep her from really losing control. 'C'mon.' he added, waving for the group to follow him towards the landing pad.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Protecting her face from the blowing dust, Emily glared at Rusty, her hardening eyes telling him more than she could safely say in public.  
'just remember, I'm the only one stopping Blade and the rest of his guys from taking off and abandoning you to whatever the hell is going to happen today.' she warned, spotting the cameraman and groaning.  
'I'll keep that in mind Sergeant.' Rusty replied, missing the point of her warning.  
'I'm serious Rusty. The guys know when things aren't going to end well. Blade's on edge and it's not just because of…oh fuck, we're boned.' Emily groaned, hanging her head as she realised the redheaded woman who just got out of the chopper was the reporter.  
'You're over reacting Emily, things will be fine.' Rusty grinned, straightening and walking over to the woman.  
'Oh pull your head in, the guys are fawning over her. Someone is going to die because of that tramp and if it's one of my boys I will hold you personally responsible.' Emily snapped, turning and stalking off in disgust.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Catching up with Zeke after his first spat with the reporter, Emily leaned heavily against him, eyes squeezed shut.  
'This is a bad idea Zeke. Fourteen still won't come out of hiding, they're worried this bloody woman is gonna bring all kinda of hell down on them.' she uttered, absolutely mentally exhausted from the stress of the day…and it was still only mid-morning.  
'They ain't the only ones worried 'bout that. Heck, maybe you can scare her all the way back to the world.' Zeke replied, slipping one arm around Emily's waist lightly.  
'Oi! I'll give you scary Anderson.' Emily snapped, grabbing his wrist and turning sharply.  
'Hunter!' Goldman snapped, watching with wide eyes as Emily bent Zeke backwards over her extended leg. Weight perfectly balanced, Emily easily controlled the muscular man, keeping him bent over her knee.  
'What? Concerned I'll show up your Sergeant?' Emily grinned, flipping Zeke back upright without seeming to exert any extra effort.  
'You have got to teach me how to do that.' Zeke nodded, rubbing his wrist lightly.  
'It's all about leverage Anderson, that's it.' Emily shrugged, eyes hardening and narrowing as she spotted the reporter, Vicky someone or other.  
'Sergeant?' she called, walking over to them.  
'Yeah.' Zeke replied, turning to the shorter woman.  
'I think this is going to be a real interesting experience.' Vicky nodded, locking gazes with Zeke.  
'Yeah, that's one way of looking at it. What's the matter? Those public information type in Saigon didn't give you enough news about the war?' Emily snorted, voice dropping to a more manly tone to hide her identity.  
'The press briefings? The five o'clock follies?' Vicky laughed, ignoring Emily and keeping her focus on Zeke.  
'So that's what they call them now.' Zeke nodded, glancing at Emily.  
'The truth is the last thing they want to tell us so I'm here to see it myself, firsthand.' Vicky nodded, looking around a little.  
'Not only is this a bad idea but this woman is a fucking idiot. You have fun here Anderson, I need to go talk to dear Captain Wallace before he gets us all killed.' Emily sighed, knocking shoulders casually with him before walking away.  
'Gees, thanks Em. I'll be sure to remember your loyalty.' Zeke shot after her, resigned to his rotten luck and trying to stay calm around the annoying reporter.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, Emily slipped into Rusty's tent and paused, watching him read the letter that still tore him up inside.  
'Hey, I thought we agreed you were gonna forget about that woman.' she called softly, squeezing Blade's wrist on the way past.  
'I know and I tried Em but I loved her.' Rusty uttered, still looking at the three handwritten pages.  
'Here, let me hold onto this. You have more important things to worry about right now.' Emily sighed, sitting beside him and taking the letter. Folding it quickly, she shoved it in her pocket and made sure it was safe. 'I need to know you've got my back here Rusty, just like I've always got yours. I don't want you to go out there with just the platoon, I want 14 to stand with you but I can't force the issue. I need your support to get that damn reporter to keep her focus on you and not on 14 so they are comfortable going out there with you.' she almost begged, laying her hand over his lightly.  
'What do you need me to do Emily?' he asked, looking at her and quickly wiping his eyes.  
'I need you to stand with me and make sure that bloody woman gets the message. I can cope with her coming out with us but not like she is, she'll stick out like a sore bloody thumb. We need to kit her up and make her blend in with the rest of the guys but more importantly we need her to swear she won't capture the guys from 14 in any way. She must keep the camera away from them.' Emily explained, checking the coast was clear before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his temple.  
'Emily, not in public.' he hissed, pulling back to stare at her.  
'There you are, I thought I'd lost you for a moment. So are you with me or are we going out there without backup?' Emily grinned, glancing at Blade again.  
'I'm with you Em, just like always. I'll get Vicky away from the rest of the guys and into the CP bunker. You bring Blade over and we can all sit and talk.' Rusty nodded, drawing much needed strength from Emily's constant presence.  
'Don't forget the cameraman too, he needs to know what to avoid aiming at.' Emily replied, getting to her feet and ruffling his hair quickly.

Waiting until she was gone, Blade caught Rusty by the shoulder and turned him around, face deadly serious as he regarded the shorter man.  
'Don't screw this up Rusty, Emily cares about you more than she cares about some of the guys in my team. If not for the fact we don't belong here and she's technically a generation after you, Emily could easily love you for eternity. You've gotten through her defences and that's not easy to do, many of the guys have tried and failed. Don't break her heart Rusty, listen to her words and hear her true feelings hidden underneath.' he uttered, shaking the smaller man gently.  
'I…she could love me? Sorry, that's kinda hard for me to wrap my head around.' Rusty gaped, staring up at Blade in disbelief.  
'I think she already does but she's afraid to say so because she knows she'll have to let you go eventually. Somehow, saying it makes it all too real for Em and she can't handle that when she knows in her heart that she can never have you.' Blade nodded, releasing Rusty and darting across to the CP bunker.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Leaning in the only exit, Emily watched the reporter and cameraman closely as they stared at Blade in disbelief and shock.  
'I know this is kinda weird but these guys won't hurt you so long as you promise not to catch them on film. Of the fifty-five members of SAU 14, you are only allowed to catch one member on film and only then if you can get the angle right.' Rusty explained, standing shoulder to shoulder with Blade.  
'What are you?' Vicky asked, rubbing her eyes quickly and going right back to staring.  
'That's need to know info and you don't need to know. You either agree or you're not going out in the field tomorrow.' Blade replied, folding his arms and returning the stare.  
'But the folks back home…' Vicky started before Emily cut her off.  
'You show these guys and there will be mass panic back in the world. You put their faces on TV and everyone will be out to kill them.' Emily snapped, pushing off the wall quickly.  
'You're the other mystery I don't understand. What is with you?' Vicky asked, turning to Emily for the moment.  
'I have a job to do out here, just like the rest of the men putting their asses on the line. I may be female on the outside but inside, I have the heart of a soldier and will do everything I can to make sure each and every one of my friends makes it home. Now quit changing the subject. Do we have a deal?' Emily growled, losing patience with the redhead.  
'We have a deal. I'll keep the focus off Blade and the boys from 14.' Vicky nodded, turning back to Blade and smiling.  
'Objective one accomplished. Tomorrow we can start on the real fun.' Emily nodded, turning and walking out to share the good news with the boys from 14.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Now that things were somewhat more settled, Emily turned her focus to the mission the next day. Sinking down beside Bonfire and Sidewinder, she stripped her rifle and cleaned it carefully, listening and watching the folks around her.  
'LT, need any help Sir?' Taylor called, walking over to where Myron and Vicky were talking about burning latrines.  
'Oh god, here we go again.' Revs uttered, taking a seat beside them and getting stuck into his own cleaning work.  
'Guided tour?' Ruiz offered, admiring Vicky and smiling.  
'Maybe a demonstration of weaponry?' Danny added, fidgeting nervously.  
'Tomorrow guys, tomorrow. You can demonstrate all you know on the operation.' Myron replied, shaking his head slightly.  
'Sir, could you ask her to say something?' Taylor asked, suddenly nervous about speaking to the young reporter.  
'Say what soldier?' Vicky asked, chuckling softly at the trio.  
'Say anything.' Taylor replied, totally enamoured with the woman.  
'Anything at all.' Ruiz added, unable to stop staring at her.  
'Well, I'm Vicky Adams and I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys.' Vicky nodded, smiling softly at the young men.  
'I'm Marcus Taylor.'  
'Alberto Ruiz.'  
'Danny Percell.'  
'You don't know how nice that is, hearing your voice.' Taylor nodded, smiling warmly at Vicky.  
'It's just a voice.' Vicky shrugged, not seeing the point.  
'No it's, its an American woman's voice ma'am.' Danny corrected, glancing back as Emily walked over to them.  
'It's been nine months since I've heard an American woman's voice.' Taylor added, turning to regard Emily as she tapped him on the shoulder.  
'So then, what do you class me as? Or am I not womanly enough for you?' Emily asked, glaring at the trio in disbelief.  
'You're one of us Em, that's different. You're a rough and tumble soldier with your butt on the line with us. You told us to think of you as one of the guys and it doesn't hurt that we have a healthy respect for Falcon and the guys.' Danny replied, adjusting his rifle sling quickly.  
'Oh, so that's it. Typical male chauvinistic pigs, think I can't handle this hell.' Emily growled, grabbing Danny's wrist and pinning him over her leg, staring down at him with slowly hardening eyes. 'You have a lot to learn yet boys. Falcon isn't your main threat, none of the boys from 14 are. I didn't get their respect by being a pushover.'  
'We know that Em. We know you're capable of great violence, that's why it's hard to see you as a woman. We're used to girls who wear pretty dresses and laugh freely. We aren't used to women who kill the enemy and wield a gun with such skill.' Ruiz replied, trying to pull her off Danny.  
'Just don't forget what I'm capable of boys. I can kill without leaving a trace or making a sound. Don't make me regret watching your backs.' Emily warned, flicking Danny back upright and stalking away.  
'Talk about unbalanced.' Vicky muttered, watching Emily walk away. Whipping around, Emily glared at the woman, drawing her pistol and tossing it aside.  
'What was that bitch?' Emily asked, challenge in her eyes as she approached again.  
'Emily, don't do anything stupid.' Myron warned, watching her with a healthy level of concern.  
'I would advise you keep your big mouth shut before I really make you hurt woman. If anything happens out there tomorrow, it will be your fault. I just hope you're ready to live with yourself afterwards.' Emily snarled, getting right up in Vicky's face angrily.  
'Come on Em, she's not worth it. You'll get your chance to prove how much better you are than her. Easy now, it don't mean nothing.' Braidy soothed, grabbing Emily by the shoulders and pulling her back. 'Watch ya mouth lady, we won't always be around to calm Em down if you get her riled up.' he added, tucking Emily under his arm and escorting her away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Stretching wide, Christine emerged from her tent and made sure her bandana was tight before wandering over to where some of the guys were talking and watching the hectic attempts to clean up for the reporter. Ruiz was busy popping zits, Taylor sat in front of one mirror, shaving and talking as the rest of the guys cleaned up and combed their hair neatly.  
'Oh god, looks like their little heads are taking control. Is it too late to back out of this?' Falcon groaned, shaking his head in disbelief.  
'Unfortunately, yes. All we can do is try and keep them alive.' Braid sighed, taking the container Christine handed him and starting to slather her white fur with the mud.  
'Well right at the moment, I reckon we're gonna have our work cut out doing that.' Sidewinder shrugged, removing his earrings and putting them in a small bag before turning to Splat and Raider for his mud coating.

Standing well clear of Rusty as the two platoons formed up, Blade rolled his eyes and nudged Emily forward. Sighing softly, she walked over to stand behind Rusty and Myron, helmet down and rifle in her arms to hide her female form.  
'These are the young men of the second platoon of the Bravo Company, preparing to go out on operation…what are you calling this operation Captain?' Vicky opened, turning and offering the mic to Rusty.  
'Uhh, what about Operation…' Rusty started but Blade was just the little faster.  
'Whiplash, 'cause that's what we're gonna give Charlie as he's running from us.' he called, eyes daring Rusty to argue with him.  
'Operation Whiplash it is.' Rusty agreed, nodding to Blade.  
'Oh thank god. The last thing we need is the Captain being ruled by his trouser snake.' Emily muttered, sagging slightly as she stood there.

Turning away, she watched Zeke as he checked the platoon, making note of how clean they all were and how nice they smelt.  
'Here we go, how long is this gonna last?' she sighed, jumping slightly as Rusty and Myron formed up beside her.  
'I heard your comment Emily and it's not true.' Rusty uttered, leaning down so Vicky didn't overhear their conversation.  
'You were gonna say Vicky, I just know it. You're as bad as most of the guys, desperate for a woman and blinded because of that.' Emily replied, her tone flat and slightly angry.  
'I am not Emily. I've got a woman I can talk to, Vicky is nothing special.' Rusty agued, still keeping his tone down.  
'Don't lie to me Rusty, you're lost. You're interested, I can see it in your eyes. I swear, the guys from 14 are the only men with their heads on straight…except for Myron and Zeke.' Emily warned, glancing over to where Bonfire was checking his men and making sure all light colours were hidden.  
'We do not go out to fight the enemy in the jungle smelling like a house of ill repute on a Saturday night, no we do not. No, we wanna smell like dirty dogs and water buffalo so that the enemy doesn't get our scent and kill us. So, you got sixty seconds here to go wipe that nice smell off your nice faces and get your butts back here smelling like the dirty dogs and animals I know and love. Now fall out! Go! Go! Go! Go! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move!' Zeke barked, not at all happy with the behaviour of the men under his watch.  
'Like I said, the one eyed trouser snakes have taken control.' Emily sighed, turning her focus to Slash. He nodded and gave her a thumbs up, holding up a plastic bag. Walking over to them, Emily took the bag and jogged off to stash it in her gear, the last safe place on the base for all the earrings and other adornments the guys had.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Trekking through the jungle, Emily watched over both teams from her position at the rear of the 14 column, eyes scanning over Rusty and his boys before she turned back and watched Blade's boys move through the grass.  
'Metric, take Bandana and Visor and head over that way, I've got a feeling Charlie is nearby.' she uttered, pointing to a perfect ambush point. Nodding once, he hustled up the line and grabbed the other two gunners before they headed off on their tangent course.

Moving into position, Bandana spotted the two enemy troops and inched closer, his bros backing him up as he crept into the open and stood, waiting for the right moment. Looking past the two soldiers, he waited until he could clearly see Tank before firing. The first short burst nailed one perfectly, killing him where he crouched. The second one looked up and bolted but Bandana quickly cut him down before advancing to check on the pair.

Darting into the trees, Visor found the lone survivor and quickly pinned him, tossing the AK-47 to Metric before hauling the prisoner to his knees and binding his wrists.  
'Nice catch guys, command should be happy with this.' Rusty grinned, walking over to them.  
'The hell with command, we're just doing our jobs.' Bandana replied, one hand firm on the prisoner's shoulder as they marched him away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Fording a river, Emily caught up with Zeke and Myron, backing them up as Myron reached out and tapped Rusty on the shoulder.  
'Sir?' Myron asked, stopping in the middle of the water.  
'Yeah.' Rusty replied, turning to the trio behind him.  
'Can we talk to you for a second?' Zeke asked, standing tall beside Emily.  
'So talk.' Rusty nodded, chewing on his gum as he looked at the trio.  
'Are you okay Sir?' Emily asked, pulling her focus back to the main situation.  
'Why shouldn't I be?' Rusty replied, chuckling softly at nothing in particular.  
'Well the mission Sir, it just seems like we're going overboard for no apparent reason.' Myron offered, wary about standing in the stream like this.  
'Oh there's plenty of good reason.' Rusty replied, shaking his head slightly.  
'Well the press isn't exactly the…' Emily started, eyes narrowing as Rusty cut her off.  
'It ain't the press.' Rusty corrected, spotting Vicky and grinning slightly.  
'Well what is it Sir?' Myron asked, trying to find the reason behind the mission.  
'I knew it was important when I was here in '67 but I forgot about it during those three weeks I was in the hospital.' Rusty grinned, the intention of this mission finally sinking in to Emily's head and she didn't like this one bit.  
'Captain, Charlie doesn't stay in one place, I mean, he moves around. He ain't gonna be right where you knew he was.' Zeke debated, also seeing this vendetta for what it was.  
'Unless he's got a real good hiding place and unless we haven't done any recon. I think we may just surprise these bunnies.' Rusty replied, relaxed in his choice.  
'Seems like sound logic to me.' Vicky added, standing behind Emily.  
'You would think that ya blonde.' Emily uttered, shocked Rusty could lead the men into such a risky position.  
'I just hope the surprise ain't on us.' Zeke added, pointing the finger at Rusty.  
'Nah. Come on, let's move out.' Rusty replied, turning and heading for the far bank.

Climbing up the other side, Emily turned to watch as Decal shucked his gear and handed it to Falcon before wading into the water and sinking under the surface.  
'Now ain't the time Decal.' she muttered, moving over a little as Zeke crouched beside her.  
'What's he doing?' he asked, eyes glued to Decal as he silently swam across the river, bright fur hidden by the murky water.  
'Decal loves the water and in this heat, he doesn't need an excuse to take a dip. He'll still reek but now we'll get to enjoy a dirty wet fur smell.' Emily shrugged, reaching down and hauling Decal out of the river, Falcon climbing out right behind him.  
'Ahhh, nothing like a quick dip to refresh the mind and body.' he sighed, shaking off the excess water before grabbing his gear and moving back into place.  
'We can always count on your to lighten the mood Dec.' Rusty grinned, wiping the dirty water from his face. Decal just shrugged and secured his webbing, slotting back in between Revs and Falcon.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sinking down on a rock, Emily dropped her kit and undid her shirt, peeling it off to reveal six leeches firmly attached to her arms. Nearby, Vicky jumped and yelped, ripping her shirt back off her shoulders to find one on her right shoulder. Taylor pulled the bug juice from his helmet band and tossed it to Ruiz as Odd Ball pulled out a little plastic container and knelt beside Emily.  
'Thanks Odd Ball, these little suckers are really starting to bug me now.' Emily grinned, holding up her arm and staying perfectly still as he removed them quickly.  
'How long have those little buggers been there Em?' Odd Ball asked, flicking the leeches onto the rocks before they could latch onto him.  
'Little while now, picked them up in the last stream back.' Emily shrugged, tipping her head forward so he could get at the one on her neck.  
'I'll need the salt too Odd Ball.' Streaks sighed, finding a couple hidden in his fur.  
'There in two bro.' Odd Ball nodded, finishing with Emily and moving on to help the others with leeches.

Settling back on her perch, Emily shifted the focus of her ears to another conversation, not really interested in the guys fawning over Vicky and their discussion on women and work.  
'I'm telling you bro, this woman is nothing but bad news.' Raider uttered, looking up from his lunch and turning to Revs.  
'I know bro but there's nothing we can do about that. I'm with Emily though, anything goes wrong and I'm blaming the reporter.' Revs shrugged, leaning against Scorpion comfortably.  
'Or the cameraman. That glass lens is a magnet for Charlie if he gets the angle wrong.' Plate added, back pressed against Raider's contentedly.  
'Emily, go with Vicky.' Rusty instructed, watching the reporter head into the scrub.  
'Come on Chris, I ain't going alone.' Emily groaned, getting up and following Vicky out of sight.  
'Man, this bites. This woman is nothing but trouble.' Christine complained, squeezing Braid's hand before heading after the other women.

Across the clearing, Shard and Randy watched Cook as he climbed a coconut tree, looking a little out of place as he went up the tree.  
'What are you doing man? You trying to sneak a peek at her or what?' Shard asked, a cheeky grin plastered across his face.  
'Do I look that crude to you Doc? I'm just up here to get the coconuts is all.' Cook replied, looking up at the fruit hanging over his head.  
'You are coconuts.' Randy added, glancing at Shard as Vicky walked over to them.  
'I love coconut milk.' she grinned, looking up at Cook still in the tree.  
'You like coconut milk? I'm gonna get you some. What you want is what you get.' Cook replied, shuffling up a little more. Vicky called for her cameraman quickly, not taking her eyes off Cook as he reached for the coconuts.  
'And that's my cue to leave.' Shard shrugged, glancing at Randy for a moment before turning and walking off.

Keeping his distance, Blade rolled his eyes at the stupid behaviour as Cook forgot abut his surroundings and goofed off for the camera.  
'Yep, this is going to end in tears.' Slash agreed, one eye on the prisoner as Taylor got distracted. A single shot echoed from nowhere and Cook froze, dropping from the tree and landing heavily as the rest of the group hit the ground.  
'Defensive perimeter!' Goldman howled, returning fire as Rusty ran over to where Randy was kneeling beside the fallen man.  
'How is he? Can you do anything?' he asked, concern filling his voice.  
'He's dead Sir.' Randy replied, not looking up from the body.  
'You gotta do something.' Rusty snapped, grabbing Randy's shirtfront.  
'There's nothing I can do except zip him in a body bag.' Randy shot back, unafraid of Rusty's behaviour.  
'Decal, the prisoner! The prisoner!' Blade called, spotting the little man running for the scrub.  
'Braidy! Emission!' Decal nodded, shooting to his feet and giving chase, his chosen help right on his tail.  
'Don't kill him! Don't kill him!' Rusty ordered, chasing them to the edge of the clearing.

Watching the goings on from under her helmet, Emily shook her head slowly, not at all happy with what was going on with their supposed leader.  
'Damn! That's all we need.' Rusty growled, yanking his helmet off and stalking back to the rest of the group.  
'Maybe they'll catch him.' Myron offered, getting to his feet.  
'And maybe they won't. I need a prisoner.' Rusty shot back, getting right into Myron's face.  
'I think we're all aware of that Sir.' Myron snarled, tempers fraying with this great big mess.  
'Captain Wallace, a word if I may.' Emily cut in, getting to her feet as Myron walked away.  
'Not now Hunter, I've got other concerns.' Wallace replied, waiting for the retrieval team to get back - hopefully with prisoner in tow.  
'Yes now or we're going home. I won't have you leading 14 down a destructive path. You're putting everyone at risk.' Blade barked, standing firm with Emily on this one. 'You deal with Emily quietly or we sort this out like men, here and now.' he added, removing his webbing and shirt before sliding into a sparring stance, motioning for Wallace to choose. Looking from Emily to Blade and back, Rusty nodded slowly, not really feeling up to going three rounds with Blade in the middle of the unforgiving jungle.  
'Wrong time, wrong place Blade. Come on Em, I think I saw a spot back here we can talk.' he sighed, leading Emily back down the track and into the undergrowth.

Settling on a suitable log, Emily sighed and looked up at Rusty as he stood there a moment longer before slumping down beside her.  
'Come on Rusty, this ain't like you. You've not only got my guys worried for their survival but you've got your own men wondering if they're gonna make it out alive. I don't know what's going through your head but you need to focus. I will deck you here and now if that's what it takes but I'd rather not. You're making this war personal and that's dangerous.' Emily tried, scanning the perimeter before reaching over and taking Rusty's hand lightly.  
'I can't help it Emily, I know I shouldn't but I want this one. I need to get brigade off my back for a couple days and this is the best way for me to do just that. I can't keep going under all this pressure, I need release but I can't find any.' Rusty uttered, sagging against Emily's side now they were away from prying eyes.  
'You're stopped sharing the weight, that's always been your problem. I swore I'd keep you together and get you home and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. You need to trust me to do that much, stop fighting the assistance so freely offered. I can protect you but only if you are willing to stand in my shadow from time to time.' Emily nodded, switching Rusty's hand to her left and wrapping her right arm around his shoulders, squeezing gently.  
'I'm trying Emily but I'm scared. God, I don't know if I can do this anymore.' Rusty sighed, fighting back his emotions.  
'I know Rusty, I know. It's okay to be afraid, it happens to the best of us. What's important is you've got people who are willing to put their lives on the line for you. You have friends who will protect you and keep you from the icy embrace of a body bag. When you're with us, with me, you're safe and can relax in the knowledge you will make it out of the jungle.' Emily promised, laying her head against his lightly, giving freely of her unflagging spirit until Rusty was back on his feet.  
'I don't wanna fight anymore Emily. I wanna go home and live in peace. I wanna be able to take a walk and not worry about getting my head blown off or stepping on a mine. I'm ready to leave this hell, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to relax back in the world. I've been here too long.' he whispered, a single tear rolling down his cheek.  
'Place your trust in me Rusty, let me take care of you. Let me assign someone to keep you safe and alive through this one. Grant me that small peace so I can focus on my job without having to worry about losing you.' Emily coaxed, tipping Rusty's face up gently. 'I can't lose you to this war Rusty, I care for you too much to let something like that happen.' she sighed, laying her heart bare for the shaken man.  
'Please, I can't do this anymore. I need your help Emily, I'm not strong enough to make it through this war without your gentle and honest support.' Rusty nodded, listening to the unspoken words like Blade had told him to.  
'Stick in close to Tank and Sidewinder, they know how much you mean to me and will take care of you. Let them help with the burden resting on your broad shoulders, they are more than strong enough to hold it clear of you for as long as they must. Shhh, you don't have to be afraid anymore, we'll make sure you get home alive and in one piece.' Emily replied, ruffling his hair gently before laying her head against his again.  
'Thank you Em, I don't know what I'd do without you.' Rusty sighed, wiping his eyes quickly.  
'You would have gone through this war like you did before we arrived and, as much as it pains me to say this, probably wouldn't have made it home alive.' Emily's honesty could be brutal but often that was the best way to be in a place like Vietnam.

Lifting his head a few minutes later, Rusty eased to his feet and smiled, the years falling away from his face as he stretched and helped Emily to her feet.  
'Tell me the truth Emily, if not for the fact we are years apart in all truths, could you really love me?' he asked, remembering what Blade had said the day previous.  
'I already do Rusty, despite my attempts not to let that happen. You slipped through my defences like no one else and have taken up residence in my heart like you had been there all along. It will break my heart when the time comes for us to part but I can't do anything about that.' Emily confessed, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.  
'I just wish I could do right by you Emily. I was a fool to not notice earlier but now that I have, I don't want to waste any chances I may have to see the woman hidden under that tough exterior.' Rusty grinned, tipping her face up and caressing his cheek.  
'You've already seen her Rusty. She's the woman who watched you sleep and soothed you back down when the nightmares threatened to wake you from much needed sleep. She's standing here right now, unhindered by rank or regulation. Every time I've smiled at or teased you gently that beautiful spirit inside me has been released.' Emily chuckled, closing the distance between them and reaching up to loop her arms around his neck gently.  
'My beautiful Emily, I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish I could tell the world I love you but for so many reasons, I can't.' Rusty sighed, gazing into Emily's eyes and seeing the love she had tried so hard for so long to hide.  
'I don't believe I found love just to lose it again, we will have our chance some day.' Emily grinned, running her fingers through his hair lightly.  
'We have a chance right now…if you'll have me in this place.' he suggested, arms tightening fractionally around Emily's waist.  
'I'll take you any time and place I can get you Rusty but I want you to be sure you want me too. I'm not a sweet housewife and never will be. This isn't a act for me, I fight and kill for a living back home.' Emily sighed, rejoicing silently in the close contact.  
'I wouldn't have you any other way Em. I don't want a sweet housewife, I want the wild woman in my arms right now.' Rusty promised, resting his forehead against hers lightly.  
'Then we can make this work. We really should get back to the others but first.' Emily nodded, tightening her grip and closing her eyes. Smiling softly, Rusty closed the gap and pressed his lips to hers, feeling the spark of attraction in his heart roar into a full blown fire.

Pulling back slowly, Emily had a dazed expression on her face as she gazed at Rusty, mind struggling to catch up with her actions.  
'I love you Rusty, you and no other.' she whispered, slipping from his grasp and picking up her rifle from where it had fallen.  
'I love you too Emily, no one else will hold my heart.' he replied, lifting his rifle from his shoulder and scanning the area around them.  
'Are you ready to go back to the others now?' Emily asked, running her fingers through his hair again before setting his helmet in place.  
'Yeah, I'm ready.' Rusty nodded, embracing Emily warmly one last time before they headed out of the bush and wandered back towards the group.

By the time they got back to the others, Decal and company were already back, but the prisoner was nowhere to be found.  
'It's like the jungle swallowed him up or something.' Decal shrugged, getting to his feet nervously.  
'Terrific.' Rusty sighed, glancing at Emily quickly.  
'Yeah, he's on his way back to warn his buddies so we'd better di-di on outta here I say.' Braidy added, also getting to his feet.  
'Five minutes.' Rusty replied, walking off to think of a new solution to their problem.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Catching the signal, Emily dropped low and hustled forward, settling between Sidewinder and Tank, one knee resting against Rusty's ass lightly.  
'What you got Sir?' Myron asked, joining the small group behind Johnson.  
'Think we got us a bunker.' Rusty replied, leaning into Emily's knee a little more. 'Half way up that hill, my eleven o'clock. Pretty well concealed by vines but it looks big. What do you think?'  
'It could be a storage space.' Myron replied, eyeing the bunker and trying to estimate its size.  
'Yeah, it could be a hiding place for a platoon of well fed infantry too.' Tank added, glancing at Sidewinder quickly.  
'Well let's just lob a couple grenades up there.' Myron suggested, decided he didn't like the risk.  
'I don't think it'll do any good from here.' Sidewinder replied, running through his supplies and shaking his head.  
'Yeah, just give the dinks a chance to di-di outta there. I say we move closer, do a little more thorough recon.' Rusty nodded, eyes glued on the bunker.  
'You're the boss.' Zeke replied, swapping a worried look with Myron.  
'Yeah. I'll take third squad and I'll flank them through those bamboo.' Rusty nodded, glancing to the right.  
'This is gonna be tight.' Sidewinder uttered, quickly adjusting his gear to give him a better chance to get through the mess.  
'I wanna go with you.' Vicky cut in, crouched at the back of the group.  
'This could get rough.' Emily warned, rapping on Rusty's helmet. He looked over her shoulder at her and grinned, securing the strap to keep it in place.  
'So, let's get on with it.' Vicky nodded, scared but determined.  
'Third squad, you're with me.' Rusty hissed, getting up and heading back to the rest of the men.  
'Chain, come on. Everyone else, get ready for heavy combat.' Emily nodded, sticking in beside Rusty as the group gathered and headed for the bamboo.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Tank and Sidewinder kept scanning the area constantly, their promise strong in their minds as they followed Emily and Rusty across the creek and up the other side. Slipping into the bamboo, the two heavyset mice swore softly but pressed on, thinking skinny thoughts as they squeezed through the narrow gaps to stay right behind Rusty and Emily. This was a maze like no other, cutting off any escape but they pressed on together, human and Martian working as one unit without fault or a word spoken.

All of a sudden, things went to hell with shocking speed. Rusty yowled and went down hard, left foot punctured by a punji stake. Darting forward, Chain moved into a covering position as Rusty sat up and fired hard, showing off his strength as he wielded his rifle in one hand. Letting out a scream of frustration, Rusty hammered away at the enemy, grateful for the support at his back. A white hot round blazed across the gap between forces and tore into his arm, opening up another wound before it slammed into Chain's arm, fresh blood slipping through grey fur. Another round tore into Rusty's side, causing him to cry out and try to stem the flow with his hand, not sure where to turn now.  
'I got him Em, I got him.' Tank called, darting forward to cover Rusty as Chain backed off, yanking the bandana off his head and tying it around his arm to stem the blood flow.  
'Can you move?' Sidewinder asked, coming up on Rusty's other side and securing his bandana around the wound high on his shoulder.  
'Yeh, lets get outta here.' Rusty nodded, letting Tank haul him to his feet and support him as they ran up the hill.

Coming under fire again, the group hit the deck and rolled or crawled for cover, protecting and supporting each other until they were all out of the enemy lines of fire.  
'Are you alright?' Zeke called, changing mags quickly.  
'It'll heal.' Rusty replied, looking a little tired. 'I knew we’d find something up here.'  
'Yeah, ain't we lucky. I suggest we di-di on back to the LT.' Chain nodded, ducking back behind another tree and wincing as several rounds zinged past his head.  
'Right.' Rusty agreed, panting for breath.  
'Alright, Taylor leave the blooper! Johnson, Baker, you take these news people, you get outta here.' Zeke ordered, wishing he still had his helmet but not sure where he'd lost it.  
'No, I'm staying Sergeant.' Vicky called, pressed in tight to the ground.  
'No you ain't! Chain, make sure she gets outta here.' Emily snapped, changing mags and popping up again.  
'We'll cover!' Rusty called, glancing at Emily quickly. 'Ready! Go!' scrabbling to his feet, Chain grabbed Vicky bodily around the waist and took off, Sidewinder and Tank throwing up one hell of a defensive fire line so they could get clear without too much of a risk. Vicky screamed and complained, beating her hands on Chain's back but he just ignored her complaints and kept running with the rest of third squad and the cameraman.

Easing up the slope, Emily pressed in beside Rusty, reaching over to squeeze his thigh gently.  
'Now what?' Zeke panted, glancing at Rusty for guidance.  
'We get the wounded outta here. Sidewinder, give me your demo pouch. You and Tank have to get Rusty down to the medics!' Emily replied, giving Rusty a shove towards his personal guards.  
'That we can do. Stay in front Captain, we're trained for this kinda thing.' Sidewinder nodded, tossing Emily the large pouch before rising to his knees and making sure everything was ready for their mad dash.  
'Chokei!' Emily snapped, popping up and opening fire. Grabbing Rusty bodily, Tank took off down the track, bounding along with Sidewinder at his flank. Hanging on to Tank's vest, Rusty tucked his head in and closed his eyes as he was carried down the hill at a flat run.

Turning a corner sharply, Tank turned side on and handed the Captain to Sidewinder before bringing up his rifle and moved forward, making sure the area was clear before motioning for Sidewinder to follow him through the bamboo.  
'What did Emily say?' Rusty asked, clinging to Sidewinder now and praying for safety.  
'Chokei, short for chokei dumali kurasas. It means run for freedom. Chokei can also be used as a wish, a wish for freedom.' Sidewinder explained, slipping into the path cut by Tank.

Blasting out of the bamboo, Tank took Rusty back and held him close, using his own chest to try and stop the blood pouring from the wound in Rusty's side.  
'Hang in there Captain, you're heading home. Just stay with us, Em will be down soon, you have to stay here for her. She loves you, don't leave her yet.' he pleased, sprinting through the gathering until he found Revs and Randy.  
'What happened?' Revs called, ripping Rusty's shirt open the moment Tank put him on the ground.  
'Punji stake, bullet wound to the shoulder and another to the side. Emily and Zeke are still up there.' Sidewinder explained, taking a knee near the group and scanning the area slowly.  
'Come on Sir, you gotta stay with us. You'll be heading home soon.' Randy grinned, working on getting Rusty's boot off so he could check the damage caused by the punji stake.  
'Someone has to get Emily, I can't lose her.' Rusty uttered, fumbling for something.  
'We're going back up there Captain, don't worry. You won't lose her and she won't lose you. Just relax, you'll be reunited again.' Tank promised, grabbing Rusty's hand and squeezing gently.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Back up the hill, Emily hastily prepared another of her special grenades and lobbed it up at the enemy troops as Zeke reloaded the blooper and hunkered down behind the tree a little more.  
'Zeke, we have to get outta here!' she called, peppering the enemy positions and ducking back again, chest heaving.  
'I'll cover you.' Zeke nodded, raising the blooper and firing.  
'We go together.' Emily corrected, preparing the last of her explosives and making ready.  
'Okay, head for the stream.' Zeke nodded, loading another round into the blooper. Firing it off, he grabbed his rifle and took off, Emily pausing a moment to throw her last charge before taking off after him.

Hearing the shots behind him, Zeke kept running until he stumbled, letting out a roar of pain as he hit the ground hard.  
'Were you hit?' Emily asked, dropping to her knee beside him.  
'Yeah, got me in the calf.' Zeke nodded, trying to get to his feet.  
'I can do this Zeke, come on.' Emily nodded, dragging the heavily muscled man onto her shoulders and taking off, pegging a grenade over her shoulder as she made her escape.  
'Emily, this ain't necessary.' Zeke argued, lobbing a grenade behind them.  
'You ain't gonna make it alone. Now shut up and let me focus on getting us both outta here alive.' Emily growled, eyes locked on the track in front of her.

Reaching the stream, Emily set Zeke down gently and cut the bloody cloth clear, pulling a small kit out of one of her many pouches as she unconsciously shoved the bloody cloth into her back pocket.  
'Leave me here Em, I'll be safe.' he panted, helpless to fight as Emily cleaned the wound and dressed it quickly. Then she pulled something else out of the kit and wrapped it around Zeke's leg, covering the dressing and making it look as though she'd never cut his pants.  
'Not a chance in hell Zeke. Myron's gonna need you and I don't need the hell he'll give me for abandoning you.' Emily corrected, snapping her head up as the sharp crack of M-16's echoed in the jungle.  
'Alright, the LT's in it now.' Zeke sighed, hating feeling so helpless.  
'Then we'd better get back there. I just hope that bloody reporter isn't causing more problems.' Emily nodded, hoisting Zeke back onto her shoulders and making her way across the creek.  
'There's more to this, ain't there?' Zeke asked, watching their backs as Emily climbed up the far bank and kept moving.  
'Not now Zeke, we'll talk later.' Emily growled, shifting his weight and picking up the pace a little more, desperate to get back to the safety of the group.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Ducking and weaving, Emily made it back to the rest of the guys and spotted Myron, a faint smile crossing her face. Hustling over, she shifted her grip and rather ungraciously dumped Zeke and his weapons at Myron's feet before running off, her mind on other matters now.  
'Anderson! Where the hell did you spring from?' Myron yelped, nearly tripping over the downed Sergeant as he ducked away from enemy fire.  
'Short version, I got shot. Emily carried me back and dropped me off, literally.' Zeke replied, rubbing his bruised butt before easing to his feet, favouring his right leg.  
'I'll get the long story later.' Myron nodded, turning his focus back to the bunker.

Finally finding where she wanted to be, Emily dropped to her knees and took Rusty's hand, thumb tracing over his knuckles lightly.  
'Where are you hit Em?' Randy asked, noting the blood all over her fatigues.  
'It's not mine. Some is his and some belongs to Anderson.' Emily replied, indicating Rusty with a nod. Randy's eyes blew wide and he shot off, looking for Zeke.  
'Em, that you?' Rusty uttered, eyes blinking open slowly.  
'Yeah Rusty, I'm here. Shhh, save your strength.' Emily nodded, fingers carding through his hair lightly as she tried not to cry.  
'Thank you.' he uttered, laying his head back down and closing his eyes.  
'There's nothing I wouldn't do for you Rusty.' Emily replied, spotting his bloody shirt laying discarded nearby. She wasn't sure what made her do it but for some reason she reached out and grabbed the shirt, bundling it up quickly. Setting her kit down, she pulled a plastic bag from one of the pouches and shoved the shirt into it before tying the top and stuffing it back into her kit.  
'See, I told you that Em would be okay.' Revs grinned, scampering over to check on Rusty's condition.  
'It was a near thing Revs, had to carry Anderson's fat ass down with me. I've got to go help the others Rusty but I'll be back for you.' Emily sighed, glancing over her shoulder before leaning in and stealing a quick kiss.  
'Be careful Em.' Rusty breathed, squeezing her hand tight.  
'Always my sweet.' Emily nodded, ruffling his hair gently before rising and darting away.

Spotting the kid with the flamethrower, Emily smirked and changed direction, landing beside him. He jumped and stared at her for a moment, recognising her as the only human female in a combat role.  
'Give me the flamethrower, I'm gonna get us all outta here alive.' she called, nodding to Zeke as he spotted her and grinned.  
'Do you know how to use it?' he asked, unbuckling the harness and slipping the tanks off his back.  
'No fear kid, I've used things like this before.' Emily replied, slipping into the harness and snugging up the straps so it wouldn't move. Slipping the nozzle from its place, she eased up and scampered off, whistling for support as she ran. Returning the call, Center Line and Mark eased up and headed for her, Center Line trading weapons with Falcon so the main force didn't lose an M-60 to the flanking force.

Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Emily charged up the hill with her tiny support team, ducking and weaving among the trees. Yanking out another explosive package, she lobbed it as hard as she could up the slope and the few stray guns up there fell silent. Taking advantage of the lull, Emily charged, fear falling away and a new anger spreading through her.

Turning the knob on the tanks, Emily inched closer to the bunker and looked back, nodding to her support team as they inched along, constantly alert and ears held high.  
'Choke on this fuckers!' she screamed, opening fire on the bunker. Behind her, Center Line and Mark opened fire as well, adding to the confusion as Emily roasted the bunker and anyone inside it with controlled bursts of fire.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Tossing the flamethrower back across to its rightful caretaker, Emily wiped the mess of sweat and grime from her face before walking over to kneel beside Rusty again, absolutely exhausted but her spirit was still strong.  
'You were right Rusty, it's quite the bunker they had up there. Charlie won't be comin' back though, we made sure of that.' she uttered, smiling softly at him as he opened his eyes and nodded slowly, reaching out to grasp her hand.  
'I'm proud of you Em, you did good today.' he replied, squeezing gently.  
'It's not over yet, we still gotta get back to a suitable LZ. Revs, is it safe for a single man carry?' Emily sighed, turning to look at the black-furred medic nearby.  
'Short distances only Em, but yeah. If you're gonna do that though, make sure you keep pressure on his side.' Revs nodded, moving in to check the injuries again.  
'Planned on it Revs. Come on, give me a hand to get him up.' Emily replied, turning side on and balancing carefully as Revs eased Rusty up and over Emily's powerful shoulders.  
'You had better be sure about this Revs.' Randy warned, running over to the trio, eyes wide in disbelief and amazement.  
'I know Emily and she knows Captain Wallace better than anyone else here. There's no one else I trust to bring him down from here. Besides, I'll keep an eye on his condition.' Revs reassured him, adjusting the IV line quickly and holding up the bag to keep them running into the unfortunate man.  
'Would someone grab Zeke, dunno how his leg will handle the trek.' Emily added, shifting Rusty a little until she was comfortable. 'You okay up there?' she asked, tapping his thigh lightly.  
'Yeah, I'm good. Never realised you were so strong.' Rusty nodded, wishing someone had thought to take his damn helmet off.  
'Hang on Em, just one thing to make you both more comfortable.' Shift added, releasing her helmet and lifting it clear before securing it to her webbing.  
'While you're at it.' Rusty muttered, lifting his head a little.  
'I dunno if that's a great idea.' Shift uttered, turning to Revs for guidance.  
'It'll be fine Shift, Emily will take care of him.' Revs nodded, removing the Captain's helmet and securing it to Emily's webbing as well. He then grabbed the two discarded weapons and slung them over Emily's shoulder, carefully positioning the straps for maximum comfort.  
'I can make it on my own.' Zeke argued, not at all happy with being hoisted onto Braid's shoulders like he was completely invalid.  
'Shut up back there.' Braid replied, shifting his grip quickly and moving down to join Emily.  
'Blade, it's your company now. Take care of the guys for me when I'm gone.' Rusty called, lifting his head again.  
'Hush now, you just rest.' Emily sighed, patting his butt quickly before dropping her hand back down so no one got suspicious.  
'I will Rusty, you've got my word on that.' Blade replied, looking the massed team over before turning for the track. 'Let's go home guys. Taylor, you're on point. Ghost, you go with him.' he added, motioning for the exhausted soldiers to head on down the hill.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Reaching the LZ, Emily eased to one knee and gently lay Rusty back on the ground, hanging her head as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.  
'Emily, you are bleeding. That's a fresh mark and it's not from carrying Captain Wallace.' Shard called, kneeling beside her and rolling up the right leg of her pants. Sure enough, there was a neat hole in her leg, just above the top of her boot.  
'Well there ya go, didn't even feel that one. Emily shrugged, wiping at the blood just to make sure this was a real injury.  
'When do you suppose that happened Em?' Zeke asked, landing lightly beside her as Braid took a break from the weight.  
'When I was carrying your big behind down from the danger. Felt a dull pain for a moment but didn't think anything of it.' Emily shrugged, stretching her leg out and allowing Shard to dress it quickly.  
'Looks like it isn't goodbye just yet Em.' Rusty grinned, head resting on her left knee lightly.  
'Not for a while yet by the looks of things.' Emily nodded, tracing mindless patterns in his hair again, no longer caring what anyone had to say.

Looking up at the sound of choppers, Emily sighed and let Blade gently lift Rusty before Myron helped her to her feet and Windvest got Zeke up and ready to go.  
'I'll be back Blade, no fear there.' she sighed, leaning on Myron as they headed for the dustoff chopper together.  
'Don't doubt that for a moment Em.' Blade grinned, easing Rusty down and moving aside for the others to hop up and get comfortable. Shuffling over a little more, Emily let Rusty lay his head on her good ankle and smiled, feeling like all was good in the world for once.  
'Take care of the guys until I get back.' she called, chuckling softly as Blade snapped off a perfect salute and hustled away. Sighing softly, Emily leant back against the wall of the hold and relaxed, eyes drifting closed as she cupped Rusty's head lightly, fingers twitching occasionally.  
'Thank you Emily, for everything.' Rusty called over the roar of the rotors.  
'Nothin' I wouldn't do for anyone else.' Emily replied, glancing at Zeke and nodding slowly.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Back at the firebase, Blade wandered into his tent and slumped onto his rack, looking at the empty rack on the other side of the small space.  
'I hope our paths cross again some day Rusty. You are one of the few good people left.' he muttered, hanging his head sadly.  
'You okay bro?' Slash asked, appearing in the entrance.  
'Just thinking bro, don't sweat it. Life is gonna suck without Rusty around. Now I'm in sole command of this place and I don't think I'm ready.' Blade shrugged, shuffling over so Slash could sit beside him.  
'You'll be fine bro, you always bounce back. Come on, I know just what will cheer you up.' Slash grinned, dragging his older brother from the tent and leading him over to where some of the guys were relaxing and recovering from that round with Charlie.  
'Bro brawl!' Slash called, tackling Wheelie and driving him to the dusty ground.  
'Perfect way to unwind.' Falcon agreed, flipping Blade onto his back before getting taken out by Tank and Cosmo together.

Blinking stupidly, Myron was totally distracted by the goings on behind Vicky and put his hand over the lens so the guys weren't seen on TV.  
'What are they doing?' he muttered, walking a little closer to the big brawl.  
'Relieving tension and reaffirming our bond as a unit. We do this occasionally when things get rough for us.' Decal explained, emerging from the dust for a moment before he was dragged back in but not before he latched onto Danny's ankle and pulled him along for the fun.  
'Heck, if ya can't beat 'em, join 'em.' Taylor shrugged, jumping in and wrapping his arms around Revs' shoulders, a huge grin on his face.

Encouraged by this, the rest of the guys entered the fray, wrestling and mucking around playfully, the stress of the day fading away to nothing in the face of such fun.  
'You too LT.' Christine called, emerging from the group and tackling Myron, pulling him into the big pile of bodies. Ducking quickly, he narrowly missed Falcon's flying fist, only to be knocked flat on his back by Slash.  
'Hey, nice of you to…ack!' Slash grinned, yanked away by Baker and crashing into Bonfire.  
'Now this is what I'm talking about!' Braidy called, tackling Johnson linebacker style and dumping him in the dirt.  
'Oh yeah, nothing like this to blow off steam.' Emission agreed, dropping Matsuda on his ass before getting absolutely flattened by Plate.


	6. Goodbyes & Hellos

Making her way out into the sun, Emily spotted Captain Wallace out on the grass; pipe firmly wedged in the corner of his mouth as he enjoyed the sun and relaxed. Settling her crutches under her arms again, he made her way over to him, trying to quash her emotions about having to walk away from her special friend. Opening his eyes, Rusty spotted Emily and grinned, heart clenching at the thought of leaving her behind now that they had something special going on.

Sitting down beside him, Emily flexed her injured ankle gently and pulled out her cigarettes.  
'It's not gonna be hard saying goodbye to this place. But the people…that's gonna be real hard.' Rusty sighed, offering her a light.  
'I hear ya there Sir. So when are ya flying outta here?' Emily nodded, puffing away contentedly as Rusty refilled his pipe and lit up.  
'There's a plane heading for Hawaii in three days and I'm on the list for that flight.' Rusty shrugged, wishing he could just come out and say what he wanted to say.  
'Well, I did say I'd get ya home. This isn't quite what I had in mind but it's good enough.' Emily replied, aching to show Rusty how much it was going to hurt to let him go for the last time.  
'Part of me wants to stay and finish what I started but the bigger part is ready to get the hell out of here.' Rusty grinned, inching closer to Emily.  
'It's time for you to go home Sir, you've done all you can here. The baton has been passed; Blade will take care of the guys.' Emily offered; looking around to make sure no one was looking in their direction.  
'I know Em, doesn't make it any easier to walk away.' Rusty nodded, also scanning the area.

Taking the chance, Emily leant in and they shared a quick kiss before moving apart and turning their attention back to the sky.  
'I'm gonna miss ya Rusty, more than words can ever say.' Emily uttered, squeezing his hand lightly before laying her hand in her lap, narrowly missing the nurse that could have caught them.  
'I'm gonna miss you too Em. Life has been worth living just to see you smile.' Rusty grinned, waiting for another safe moment before ruffling her hair affectionately.  
'What did you want me to do with that letter your ex sent ya?' Emily asked, remembering the three pages now tucked in her bra to keep it away from prying eyes.  
'Toss it in the latrines the next time someone burns them. Oh, I wrote this to send her, see what you think.' Rusty shrugged, pulling out a neatly written letter and handing it over.

Unfolding the pages, Emily read the neatly penned words and smiled then chuckled, nodding slowly as she went through the five pages.  
'I wouldn't have thought of doing that. Never heard of a Dear Jane letter either but I like it. You've summed things up nicely. A wise end for such a letter, I'll personally make sure it burns.' she grinned, folding the letter up and tucking it back into the envelope.  
'I figure I should let her know what it's like to get a letter like that. Thanks for getting me through this too Em, dunno what I would have done without your help.' Rusty replied, sealing the envelope and tucking it back into his pocket.  
'I dread to think of what could have happened but hey, that ain't important anymore.' Emily shrugged, stealing another quick kiss and running her fingers through Rusty's hair.

#$~$#@#$~$#

The next day, the three close friends relaxed in the sun and talked, laughing and joking until they spotted something really unusual overhead. A lone chopper swooped in low and touched down, a familiar face sitting in the hold with a footlocker and a duffle bag. Beside him sat another man, duffel on his back and two leashes in his hands. Eyes blowing wide, Emily stared at the two dogs as the jumped down with their handler, noses to the ground. Her attention otherwise occupied, she missed the other man getting down and walking over to them, holding the gear lightly in his hands.  
'Well hey there LT. What brings you back here?' Zeke asked, sitting up and turning to the younger man with a huge grin on his face.  
'Lieutenant Jacobs turned up at Ladybird looking for someone. I asked if I could hop a ride back so I could hand this over in person.' Myron shrugged, setting the gear down to clap Zeke on the shoulder before turning his attention to Rusty.  
'Thanks Myron, I was wondering when this was going to arrive.' Rusty nodded, taking the duffle bag and opening it. Nodding slowly, he closed it up again and set it on the ground before sliding off the bench and opening his footlocker. 'There's just one thing missing.' he uttered, easing back onto the bench.  
'Sit tight, back in a minute.' Zeke grinned, easing to his feet and heading inside, limping slightly but he was due to go back to base soon.

Returning a few minutes later, he turned the helmet around and dropped it on Rusty's head before returning to his spot on the lawn.  
'Thanks Zeke, don't wanna leave without my helmet.' Rusty grinned, slipping it off and shoving it in his bag with the rest of his gear.  
'Staff Sergeant Hunter, could you come over here please?' one of the nurses asked, walking over to the happy group.  
'Yeah, be right there.' Emily nodded, rocking to her feet and walking away, her limp practically gone.

Stopping in front of the darker Lieutenant, Emily ripped off a salute which was quickly returned.  
'Staff Sergeant E Hunter?' he asked, a little shocked to find a woman where he'd expected a man.  
'Staff Sergeant Emily Hunter, RA 4851206.' Emily replied, snapping to attention as best she could without stressing her ankle.  
'Gotta be above my pay grade.' Jacobs uttered, shaking his head quickly. 'I was told to escort these fine war dogs to you.' he added, indicating the pair laying quietly at his feet.  
'Romus, Remus, release.' Emily instructed, taking the leashes from his unresisting hand and easing to her knees.

Barking once, the two dogs shot to their feet and crowded her, tails going a hundred miles a minute as they lapped up the attention bestowed on them by their loving handler and owner.  
'Sit boys.' she grinned, easing back to her feet a few minutes later.  
'I wish you all the best with them Sergeant, they are wonderful dogs.' Jacobs nodded, handing over the duffle with all their gear inside.  
'They certainly are Sir. Will that be all Sir?' Emily agreed, scratching the pair behind the ears quickly.  
'Yeah, I just had to get them too you.' Jacobs replied, accepting another salute from Emily before she turned and walked off, the dogs bounding along happily beside her.

Rejoining her friends, Emily sunk onto the grass and ruffled the dogs up, the happiest smile on her face as they rolled over for belly scratches.  
'Emily, what aren't you telling us?' Rusty asked, admiring the handsome animals as they lapped up the attention again.  
'Another mystery of what happened. I've had these two since they were pups and trained them to do a lot of things most dogs don't do. I thought they were safe back in my time with the last two members of 14 but apparently I was wrong. They probably had to go through vet checks and shots before they could join us.' Emily explained, looking up from the dogs. 'To work boys!' she added, voice strengthening and deepening. Springing to their feet, the pair stood tall side-by-side, tails held high and ears pricked for instructions.  
'They really are magnificent, I would have loved to see them in action.' Rusty grinned, offering his hand to the pair.  
'Release! It's okay boys, you can say hello.' Emily nodded, scratching them behind the ears again. Rom padded over to Rusty, putting his front paws up on the bench as Rem gave Zeke a thorough sniffing. 'Rem, manners.' Emily warned, batting his tail gently. Head coming up, Remus left Zeke and walked over to Myron, checking him over for strange smells as well.  
'He seems more interested in me than Zeke.' Myron remarked, patting Remus as he continued his sniffing and snuffling.  
'Zeke's clean, you smell of combat and that is a familiar smell to them. The blood and gunpowder are just like home, comfortable and real. Practically everyone else here smells of disinfectant and sickness and these two don't like those smells.' Emily explained, tumbling Romus onto his back and rubbing his tummy.  
'So what are they going to be like in a combat situation?' Zeke asked, leaning over to rub Rom's belly lightly.  
'Won't be a problem for them. I take these two hunting with me and the guys all the time. They don't mind the crack of rifles or the explosions caused by Raider, Splat and Sidewinder. These two are proper war dogs, you can't fault them. Kill or capture, they understand the difference.' Emily grinned, unable to believe her precious dogs were finally back by her side.  
'I'd like to see that, if something can be arranged.' Rusty replied, scruffing Rem up quickly.  
'Well, I would do it but I'd rather not stress my ankle just yet. Feel like playing bad guy LT?' Emily sighed, turning her focus to Myron.  
'What do I have to do?' Myron asked, dropping to one knee to scruff Rom up a bit more.  
'Run like hell until they catch you. It's the way I trained them to capture prisoners.' Emily shrugged, scanning the grass area and estimating the space.  
'That's it? Just try and outrun them' Myron nodded, removing his webbing and leaving it by Rusty's feet.  
'Yep, it's that simple. Stay on the grass and don't stop running until they catch you or I call them off.' Emily confirmed, shifting around to lean against the bench. 'To work boys!'

Scanning the grass area for a moment, Myron took a deep breath and broke into a run, tearing across the grass as fast as he could.  
'Catch him boys! No teeth!' Emily snapped, releasing the pair from their ready state. Bounding away, the two dogs shot after Myron, gaining ground rapidly.  
'Run LT! They're gainin' on ya!' Zeke called, having never seen Myron run that damn fast.  
'Come on Goldman! I can run faster than that!' Rusty added, caught up in the thrill of the chase.  
'Catch him boys! No teeth!' Emily repeated, still amazed by how fast they were.

Glancing over his shoulder, Myron spotted the pair and poured on the speed, swinging around again and vaulting another bench. Landing heavily, he rolled and got to his feet, scrabbling for traction for a moment before shooting across the grass. Looking back again, he only saw one black and tan blur and started looking around for the other one.  
'Left LT! Go left!' Zeke roared, tracking both animals as they hunted Myron down.  
'He's coming around the back Goldman!' Rusty offered, spotting Romus breaking right.

Racing past his friends, Myron turned and ran the length of the lawn, chest heaving from the exertion. He'd never run this fast for this long before and wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up the cracking pace.  
'LT! Look out!' Zeke cried, spotting one of the dogs barrelling towards Myron from the left.  
'Behind you Goldman!' Rusty warned, sitting up more in anticipation of the finish. Spinning fast, Myron bolted but the dogs were right on him.  
'Catch him boys! No teeth!' Emily repeated again, keeping the pair on task.

Then it happened, shocking in its suddenness and amazing to witness. Romus came up behind Myron and jumped, striking the Lieutenant between the shoulders and knocking him to the ground. Remus came up and got right in Myron's face, growling low as Romus sat proudly on Myron's back, looking to Emily for the next instruction.  
'Well caught boys. Release!' Emily nodded, digging around in their bag for the treats. Barking once each, the dogs bounded over to Emily as Myron picked himself up and followed, breath coming in harsh pants.

Sinking down beside Zeke, Myron collapsed back onto the grass, still trying to catch his breath.  
'Probably should have mentioned this before but no one has ever escaped Rom and Rem. Even Falcon with his great stride can't outrun them when they are given the job of bringing him down.' Emily chuckled, handing both dogs a treat and watching as they sat quietly to enjoy what they had been given.  
'Now you tell me how hard it is. That's just not fair Emily.' Myron gasped, lifting his head to glare at her for a moment before letting it drop again.  
'I've never seen anything like that before. They seem almost human in the way they track and work together.' Rusty praised, nudging Goldman with his foot.  
'I spend hours training them, I need to know they can do their jobs without fault or over instruction.' Emily shrugged, tossing Myron his canteen.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Siting alone on the bench, Emily looked over to where Rusty was saying his goodbyes to Zeke and Myron, hands on their shoulders lightly. From this distance she couldn't hear what was being said by she could clearly read Myron's lips and knew Rusty was giving them instructions to keep her safe and see her returned to her rightful time in one piece.

Wiping her eyes, she pulled a sealed envelope from her pocket and sighed, heart cracking in two as she tried to think of what to say. She looked up as a shadow fell across her back and smiled slightly before rising.  
'Be safe Rusty and write when you can. I'll miss you.' she uttered, laying her hand on the back of his neck lightly, one finger tracing through his hair.  
'I'll miss you too Em. Let me know how things turn out for you and 14.' Rusty nodded, holding up a neatly folded page.  
'Count on it Rusty. I want you to have this, so you'll know where I'll be one day.' Emily nodded, taking his letter and securing it in her top pocket before slipping her special note into his pocket and buttoning it up.  
'Don't do anything stupid Em, you still have a job to do.' Rusty sighed, pulling her into a warm hug for a few moments.  
'Don't worry Rusty, I've got a lot left to live for.' Emily promised, glancing around before leaning in for a quick kiss. 'I love you.' she whispered, snatching another kiss.  
'Love you too Em.' he replied, hugging her close a moment longer and inhaling her distinct scent.

Pulling away slowly, Rusty squeezed her hands one last time before walking off, a lone tear slipping down his face as he climbed into his bird, footlocker and duffle as his feet.  
'I'll be thinking of you!' he called, one hand raised in farewell as the chopper lifted off and took him to the airport.  
'Goodbye my sweet Rusty. I'll never forget you.' Emily breathed, eyes misting over as she watched the chopper leave until it was gone from sight.

Wiping her eyes, Emily shouldered her new duffle and took both leashes in hand before walking over to where Myron and Zeke were waiting for them.  
'Ready to go back to Ladybird?' Myron asked, laying his hand on her shoulder lightly.  
'Yeah, we're ready to go.' Emily nodded, smiling softly at her friends as the turned and walked over to the second chopper on the line. Zeke climbed up first and settled back as Emily lifted Romus into the hold and handed the leash to Zeke before hoisting Remus in and hopping up. Myron looked at the pair for a moment before climbing up and settling between them.  
'Down and stay boys!' Emily instructed, patting her knees lightly. Shuffling around, the dogs lay their heads on her lap and snorted softly, totally relaxed so long as they were with Emily. Petting their heads lightly, Emily rested her head against the seat behind her and closed her eyes, still fighting her emotions back down.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Reaching Ladybird and touching down, Emily was first out of the bird, taking Romus and setting him down on solid ground before lifting Remus down as well.  
'Doesn't feel the same anymore.' she sighed, leading her boys into camp slowly.  
'It's going to be impossible to replace Captain Wallace.' Zeke nodded, falling into step beside her.  
'Guys! The Sarge is back!' Baker called, spotting the trio and waving.  
'Em!' Christine cried, breaking into a run.  
'Look, she's got company!' Bonfire added, outpacing Christine quickly.  
'Go on boys, go say hello.' Emily grinned, releasing the dogs and watching them bound away towards their friends.  
'So they know the Martians?' Myron asked, not really surprised by this new information.  
'Know and love them. We're all one big family, the dogs are loyal to all of us.' Emily nodded, slapping Percell on the back as he ran over to them.  
'How's Captain Wallace?' Slash asked, coming up from behind them and throwing his arms around Emily.  
'He's going back to the world today. I gave him a pic of the gang and our Chicago address with instructions not to open the letter until 2005.' Emily replied, burying her face in his neck for a moment before pulling back and smiling softly.  
'It's for the best Em.' Christine nodded, handing Emily her rifle.  
'Yeah I know. Come on guys, we've got a job to do here!' Emily called, holding up her weapon and whistling for her dogs to return.


	7. The First Shock

Blinking slowly, Rusty opened his eyes and looked around slowly before letting out a shocked yelp and sitting up, eyes blowing wide. The last thing he remembered was drifting off on the plane taking him home, now he was sitting on a cold concrete floor, his footlocker and duffle bag sitting nearby with his M-16 leaning against them. Then he spotted a head peeking around a shipping crate and relaxed fractionally as he scooted over to his gear and started his search for the letter Emily had given him.  
'Hands where I can see them!' the white mouse challenged, bringing up his weapon.  
'Just relax, I'm a friend. I have proof, I just have to find where it wound up in this mess.' Rusty replied, checking his pockets and grinning as he pulled out Emily's mystery letter. 'What year is this?' he called, unfolding the letter to reveal the do not open date on the front.  
'2009, why is that important?' the brown one asked, glancing around the corner quickly.  
'I know…knew…know your friends. Look, here's the proof.' Rusty replied, tearing the envelope open and holding up the photo and letter inside.  
'who are you?' the white asked, easing out from behind the crate and walking over to take the photo, checking to make sure it was real.  
'I'm Captain Rusty Wallace. Commander of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, stationed at Firebase Ladybird, South Vietnam.' Rusty offered, carefully easing to his feet, wincing as his side protested at the movement.  
'Careful there, don't want you falling over or anything.' the brown grinned, supporting Rusty gently as the white looked up from the photo.  
'Well, this certainly explains that new corridor on base and the room that opened earlier. I'm Bandit of SAU 14 and that's Torque.' the heavyset white offered, handing the photo back before grabbing Rusty's gear. 'Come on, we'll show you to your quarters.'

Looking around in disbelief, Rusty allowed these two mice to lead him through the base, past some seriously heavy weaponry and very expensive looking aircraft.  
'Who owns all this stuff?' he asked, spotting an aircraft he recognised from Nam.  
'All this military stuff up here is Em's. She's real proud of her fleet but that is one of her babies. She rescued four of those grand old ladies and repaired them to flight capability.' Torque shrugged, sticking close to Rusty as he walked over to admire the F-105 Thunderchief up close.  
'I don't know how many times I saw these girls in the sky. I used to stand there and watch them roar overhead, wondering what it would be like to be up there in the sky.' Rusty uttered, reaching out to run his hand along the cold steel lightly.  
'If Em ever gets home, I'm sure she'll take you up in one of her girls. She tries to take them out every weekend she's home but things don't always go to plan.' Bandit grinned, gaze turning to the old plane as his throat closed up.  
'Last time I saw her, Emily was still confident she would make it home. Keep believing Bandit and one day she will return with all her friends from 14.' Rusty replied, taking one last look at the silent Thud before walking away, Torque and Bandit right behind him.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Entering his new quarters, Rusty's eyes were drawn to the mirror on the wall and he froze, jaw dropping open in disbelief.  
'I still look like I did the day I left Nam.' he breathed, approaching mirror slowly as he reached up to touch one cheek. 'You said it was 2009 now.'  
'Yeah, it's July 15 2009.' Torque confirmed, checking the calendar on his phone quickly.  
'Forty one years out of time and I still look like a thirty year old, a damn old thirty years but still just thirty years old.' Rusty uttered, looking down at his hands for a moment.  
'Just another mystery of this mess. Make yourself at home, I'm gonna go see about organising some lunch. Anything in particular you want Rusty?' Bandit shrugged, setting Rusty's gear on his bed and heading for the door.  
'Oh, so many choices. There are things you just can't get in Nam. Things like a decent pizza or a nice burger cooked just the way I like it. But if there's one thing I really missed, it's a nice big steak cooked medium rare with a baked potato on the side, butter drizzling down the skin and mushroom gravy oozing across the plate. Oh and a nice cold beer.' Rusty replied, thinking about the options for a minute.  
'That we can do. What about you Torque?' Bandit chuckled, digging a notebook out of his top pocket and writing down Rusty's order.  
'Burger with the lot.' Torque nodded, moving back as Rusty opened his footlocker before starting to unpack and settle in.  
'Done, I'll let you know when it arrives.' Bandit replied, turning and walking away.

Shaking his formal greens out, Rusty hung them up and ran his fingers over all the medals on the front before stopping and staring.  
'I don't wanna know.' he muttered, pushing the realisation aside and getting on with his unpacking. Torque shook his head in amazement as Rusty put his things away, everything neat and tidy as they had been when he was still in the army.  
'Bro, you have got to relax. You don't have to worry about inspections or military standards here, we're pretty relaxed about that sort of stuff. So long as you can always lay your hand on your weapon, nothing else matters much.' he grinned, thinking about the state of his own shared quarters and all the cleaning that would need to be done…eventually.  
'I like a clean quarters, makes it easier to lay my hand on anything I need.' Rusty replied, putting the last of his uniforms away before closing his footlocker and putting it under his new desk until he figured out another spot to put it.

Stretching for a moment, he opened his duffle and lifted out his helmet, turning it slowly in his hands before walking over and putting it up on the top shelf of his new bookcase, rank bars facing out into the room.  
'So how were the guys doing when you last saw them?' Torque asked, understanding the respect Rusty was showing to something so vital to staying alive in war.  
'Exhausted but still working hard. We'd just come down from hell halfway up a hill and were all running on empty. Emily got shot in the leg but didn't realise until we reached the LZ and she put my wounded ass on the ground. When I last saw her, she was about to hop a chopper back to Firebase Ladybird with Lieutenant Myron Goldman and Sergeant Zeke Anderson and her dogs Romus and Remus.' Rusty offered, pulling a team photo from his duffel and setting it up on the bedside table, Emily's image of the boys from 14 joining it a moment later.  
'I was wondering where those two went. I just wish I knew why Bandit and I got left behind.' Torque nodded, leaning over to take a closer look at the two photos.  
'It's possible someone had to stay behind to welcome me here and you two drew the short straws.' Rusty shrugged, leaning his rifle against the wall between his bed and side table.  
'Stranger things have happened.' Torque sighed, leaning back on his hands as Rusty finished unpacking and setting his room up the way he wanted.

Finally satisfied, Rusty chased Torque out and changed out of his Dress A uniform and into his cleanest fatigues before securing his pistol to his belt and walking out, shutting off his lights on the way out.  
'Haven't you got any civilian clothes?' Torque asked, taking in Rusty's new wardrobe.  
'Never had a need for civvies in Nam. We wear our uniforms all the time.' Rusty shrugged, comfortable in his fatigues as the walked the base together.  
'Might have to see about getting you something more relaxed.' Torque mused, considering lending Rusty his credit card.  
'I like my uniform, it's a sense of pride for all I accomplished back there.' Rusty replied, pulling out his pipe and tobacco and busying his hands with the familiar routine of cleaning and repacking his pipe.  
'Never seen that before.' Torque remarked, watching Rusty's hands intently.  
'My pipe? You know, Crimson said the same thing one day. We had a break in the combat and I decided to sit in the sun where the men could see me. I was just lighting up when Crimson walked over and sat beside me, watching with total fascination as I enjoyed the quiet moment and smoked away.' Rusty chuckled, digging out his lighter and slipping his pipe between his lips.  
'Yep, that sounds like Crimson.' Torque nodded, hands in his pockets as they wandered the corridors together.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Glutted on great food and friendship, Rusty slumped back on the couch and put his feet up, letting out a satisfied belch.  
'Yep, you're gonna fit in just fine around here.' Bandit chuckled, kicking his boots and socks off and stretching out on another couch, head pillowed in Torque's lap.  
'Judging by past experiences with the guys, I reckon we'll all get on fine…whenever they get back.' Rusty nodded, following Bandit's example and wriggling his toes, admiring the scar that graced his foot.  
'Whoa, where'd ya pick up that scar?' Torque asked, admiring the scar in the middle of Rusty's foot. Shifting said foot, Rusty showed them the one on top of his foot before lifting the side of his shirt and checking on the wound in his side.  
'That one was a punji stake and this one here is a bullet.' he bragged, turning to show them the scar on his side.  
'Oh yeah, those pits of sharpened stick, Emily told us about them. Man, you had one hell of a day that day by the looks of that.' Bandit grinned, grabbing the remote for the stereo and hit the button for their favourite channel before turning the volume down.

Listening to the tunes, Rusty grinned and relaxed, pipe resting on the table beside his beer.  
'Talk about culture shock.' he mused, foot tapping in mid air to the music.  
'I have no doubt of that.' Torque chuckled, hand resting on Bandit's chest lightly.  
'The music is different, technology has clearly advanced a long, long way but still the wars are going on.' Rusty continued, indicating the muted TV news.  
'Yeah, in Afghanistan this time.' Bandit agreed, smiling softly as he let out a belch.  
'Will people ever learn?' Rusty uttered, picking up the TV remote and hitting the power button.  
'Probably not. It seems as though some races are destined to always be fighting. Mars has survived three huge wars already and the fourth is still going strong.' Bandit sighed, thoughts turning to their home.  
'Bah, now isn't the time for such dark thoughts. Either of you up for a game of pool?' Torque grinned, nudging Bandit off his lap and standing.  
'Yeah, I'll have a go.' Rusty nodded, sitting up and pulling his boots on.  
'Just try and keep the balls on the table this time Torque.' Bandit called, settling back and folding his arms under his head.  
'Get screwed Bandit.' Torque shot back good naturedly, racking up the balls and tossing Rusty one of the better cues.  
'Later Torque, later.' Bandit sighed, eyes drooping closed.  
'Whoa, serious culture shock. There's something more to you two, ain't there?' Rusty blinked, the realisation hitting him just as he took his shot. The white ball rocketed off the table and hit the wall with a dull thunk before rebounding and hitting the rest of the balls, scattering them across the table.  
'Holy shit! Betcha can't do that again.' Torque gaped, jaw hanging somewhere around his knees.  
'Betcha I can't either.' Rusty grinned, handing the cue over.  
'In answer to your question, yeah there's more but we won't force you to take in too much all at once. Things have changed a lot since Nam, homosexuality is more acceptable now.' Bandit added, looking up from the couch.  
'Homo…oh, so you two…' Rusty surmised, eyes blowing wide.  
'Yep, nine years now.' Torque confirmed, taking his shot and handing the cue back.  
'Right. Anything else I should know?' Rusty nodded, assimilating this new information before taking his shot and sinking the two ball.  
'Well, there's a black presidential candidate this time around. There's practically no racial tension left, everyone is a lot more relaxed. There was a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and almost the White House too.' Bandit listed, ticking items off on his fingers.  
'And don't forget the current global financial crisis.' Torque added, taking the cue and managing to sink one before missing completely.  
'I have a lot to catch up on.' Rusty muttered, scoring another one and moving around to have another shot.  
'You can take a look at the archives later, Emily's got quite the library of books upstairs. You should be able to get up to speed fairly quickly.' Torque suggested, moving back as Rusty nearly hit him with the cue.  
'There's probably some documentaries in the DVD library that will help too.' Bandit added, rolling to his feet and walking over to scan the titles on the shelf.  
'Later, right now I just want to adapt to civilian life.' Rusty chuckled, sinking another and checking his available shots.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Rubbing gritty eyes, Rusty shed his uniform and climbed into his clean bed, relishing the feeling of soft cotton sheets against clean skin.  
'Goodnight Rusty. Remember, you don't have to get up in the morning until you're good and ready. Relax and drift, there's nothing really going on here.' Bandit grinned, leaning in the doorway casually.  
'It's gonna take a while for me to get out of the habit of getting up before sparrows fart.' Rusty replied, rolling over and getting comfortable, eyes drawn to his silent rifle resting against the wall in anticipation.  
'I have no doubt of that, we went through the same thing. Sleep well Rusty, you know where we are if you need anything.' Bandit nodded, waiting until Rusty had turned out the light before turning and padding away quietly.

Sighing softly, Rusty snuggled under the blankets and let his mind drift back to Emily.  
'Stay safe my beloved, I'm still waiting for you.' he whispered, closing his eyes and slipping into a restoring sleep, dreams filled with Emily's beautiful laughing face.


	8. Under Siege

Emerging from his tent Crash heard the unmistakable sound of heavy artillery coming in and swore, diving for a sandbag wall.  
'Incoming!' he cried, sending the guys scattering as the shells rained down on the base.  
'Take cover!' Bonfire barked, scrambling to his feet and running across the open ground.

Down on the bunker, Carbon was on the radio, trying to track down the enemy guns.  
'What the hell kinda gun is that?' Blade asked, ducking as another shot slammed down.  
'I'm not sure Sir but the forward observer said it may be some type of Russian made heavy artillery.' Carbon replied, still trying for more information.  
'Hey, Charlie's gonna level this firebase if division artillery doesn't shut his guns down.' Zeke added, joining them in the bunker.  
'We don't know what the gun is.' Blade sighed, glancing at Anderson quickly. 'Any sign of a probe?'  
'No, not yet but we're taking casualties Sir. I mean, this place wasn't designed to take this kinda pounding.' Zeke reported, ducking as another shot landed heavily.  
'We need to give Decal and his squad more time to locate where it's coming from. They can do this, we just have to give them a chance.' Blade nodded, one ear on the second radio in the CP.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Well scattered through the undergrowth, six mice crouched low and listened intently, marking maps and closing the net around the enemy gun. Each shot brought them closer to their target, giving them a chance to silence the massive gun raining hell on Firebase Ladybird.

Once they were satisfied they had the signal locked down, the six mice retreated down the hill and gathered in a small clearing, comparing notes and making sure the net was closed.  
'Nice work guys, we've got that gun locked down nice and tight.' Decal nodded, transcribing the six maps onto one last map so Blade could follow their audio tracking easier.  
'Let's get outta here.' Phantom added, waiting until Decal had put the precious maps inside his shirt before turning and breaking away, charging for the base with the rest of his team.

Outpacing the others, Decal was first into base and instantly headed for the CP, the rest of his group moving out and getting stuck into shoring up defences all around the firebase.  
'It's not perfect but it's the best we can grant you without risking our lives.' he offered, laying the maps down on the table, the completed picture on top of the pile.  
'As long as we silence that gun, I don't care. Thanks Dec.' Blade nodded, picking up the top map and turning to Carbon. Taking the map, the black mouse put in the call, radioing in the coordinates of the biggest concentration of audio tracks.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Lugging another sandbag clear, Revs turned to Danny and grinned, relieved the guns had finally gone silent.  
'Guys, water break.' Randy called, walking over to them, relaxed and calm.  
'You first Danny, I'm still doing fine.' Revs nodded, adding another sandbag to the pile as Danny sat and took the canteen from Randy's hand.  
'So how many days you got left Doc?' Danny asked, drinking deep and leaning against the new sandbags.  
'I got fifteen and a wakeup.' Randy grinned, relieved to be going home after so long.  
'Well, we'd better make sure you get home.' Shard added, nudging Randy lightly before walking off to hand around a few more canteens.  
'So what are you gonna do when you're a civilian Doc?' Danny asked, handing Revs the canteen.  
'Oh man, I can't even think that far down the road. I already re-enlisted.' Randy replied, happy with his choice even though his friends were most likely going to think him nuts.  
'You what?' Shard blinked, astounded that Randy would want to come back to his hellhole.  
'I re-enlisted. You see, they got this new program. I get an army scholarship to medical school and I serve the rest of my time after I graduate.' Randy shrugged, pleased with the idea.  
'Yeah Doc, you're the only guy I know is gonna get outta this mess with more than scars on ya tail.' Bonfire grinned, carrying over a few rolls of tangle foot.  
'Well that's alright. I bet your parents are real proud.' Danny grinned, warming to the idea.  
'Yeah, they are. See, they were both in internment camps during World War Two. Lost everything, house, everything. My dad keeps saying get all the education you can, they can't steal that from ya.' Randy nodded, hands shoved in his pockets.  
'Well, you've already learnt more here than any other human medic in Nam.' Revs chuckled, getting to his feet and patting Randy on the shoulder before picking up the shovel and getting back to work.

Whistling softly, Emily got stuck into the trenches, signalling her dogs to dig beside her so they could get things done faster.  
'Oh come on. That is so cheating.' Johnson grinned, jumping into the half dug trench and getting stuck into the work.  
'No it's not. They're part of the team just like anyone else.' Emily replied, digging a small hole to the side of the trench and working her helmet into it before filling it with water. 'Take a drink boys, it's up here.' she instructed, patting the edge of the trench. Lifting his head, Romus turned and jumped almost straight up, going for the hasty water dish.  
'Well, at least ya head'll be cool.' Ruiz chuckled, joining the work detail in the trench.  
'Not the first time I've done something like that. They are like an extension of me and are treated accordingly.' Emily shrugged, moving back a little as Romus returned to the trench and Remus hopped up to finish the water in her helmet.  
'I don't like all this waiting for something to happen.' Plate sighed, joining the group and starting to dig, khaki fur caked with dirt and sweat.  
'You ain't the only one Plate, I'd rather be out there shooting Charlie.' Emily nodded, waiting until Rem had returned to the trench before dumping the last little bit of water over her head as she put her helmet on again.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Looking around the refortified base, Blade nodded slowly and turned as Zeke and his patrol returned, looking none to happy about what was in the wind.  
'Yep, just as I though. Charlie is gonna try and run right over us. The fleeing civilians and now this…it's Briar Rose all over again.' he muttered, taking the greasy rag Zeke was carrying and hanging his head.  
'This won't end like that did Blade. We can hold Ladybird, if you'll give us free reign to do what must be done.' Sidewinder offered, taking the rag and tossing it aside.  
'Go, prep what you can and get things started. We have to hold this base, Charlie will not get past us.' Blade nodded, eyes hardening as he looked up towards the hills.  
'Attention! Attention all GI in Bravo Company. You are surrounded by the people's army of North Vietnam. You have no chance! You must surrender now or you will die!' a lone voice echoed through the valley, spooking the guys and forcing the reality of the danger into their minds.  
'I don't fucking think so! This base will not fall!' Emily roared, her unflagging spirit as strong and defiant as always.  
'We stand and fight! We aren't afraid! Splat, Raider, we've got work to do!' Sidewinder added, standing tall amid the worried men, a pillar of courage in this dark time.

#$~$#@#$~$#

By fourteen hundred hours, the barrage of artillery had started again and still that lone voice rang out, adding to the tense atmosphere on base.  
'Put down your arms GI. Why do you fight LBJ's unjust and immoral war?' all through the base, human and Martian worked together, fortifying the base and making preparations for the hell that was going to come down on them.  
'How long can this go on?' Danny asked, working on strengthening the entrance into one of the bunkers.  
'Until Charlie runs outta ammo I guess.' Choke shrugged, lifting another board into place.  
'Yeah, well what's he up to? I mean, this has been going on and off all day long.' Danny sighed, going for another board and adding it to the pile over the door.  
'You are victim of capitalist oppression! Look around you, there are no sons of the ruling elite fighting at your side.'

Snarling low, Falcon stood tall, holding up his hands to draw focus to him.  
'They don't know what they're talking about. I came from a wealthy family and turned by back on such wealth to stand with my brothers and fight! I am of the ruling class but here and now, I am just another grunt like all of you!' he challenged, Bits coming up to stand beside him.  
'This is bull man. What about Horn, he went to collage, right?' Baker asked, looking at Johnson as they sheltered in a foxhole.  
'You are surrounded! Unless you surrender, you only have a few hours to live!'

Working quickly, Black and Speed hooked their radio up to a the camp PA system, ready to get their own back. Chuckling softly, Black handed the handset to Bonfire, wondering what gems he was about to come up with.  
'You're on the air bro, give 'em hell.' Speed nodded, rifle held loosely in one hand.  
'Get down! You're singing the wrong tunes you commie goat fucker! That's right! You the ones who'd better surrender! You little sawed off fish head suckers! That's right! This is your last chance of you're all gonna look like leftovers from a razor fight at a chicken supper!' he called, stirring up trouble and earning a few grins.  
'Here Dec, say something about Ho Chi Mihn's momma.' Black grinned, handing over the mic. Sniggering softly, Decal took the mic and let rip, the Vietnamese just spilling from his mouth in a great flood.

Handing the mic back a few minutes later, everyone waited for the reply, eager to see just how much Decal had pissed them off. It came in a rush, angry Vietnamese pouring down the valley as the troops on the camp laughed, clueless as to what was being said but enjoying the moment.  
'Way to go man! That was pretty good.' Bonfire grinned, ruffling Decal's hair quickly.  
'I ain't doing translations, use your imagination.' Decal chuckled, turning and walking away with a spring in his step.  
'Alright you fish heads! This is radio Ladybird!' Black called, ducking back as another shell landed on the base.  
'No more joke GI! Tonight you die!' the lone voice challenged, but no one was scared anymore, they were actually looking forward to the fight.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Seventeen hundred hours and things were starting to get desperate. Water was running low and they were getting low on rounds for the mortars. Sidewinder and his fellow explosives techs had been on the go all afternoon, rigging up hasty surprises from all kinda of things they found laying around. Wheelie and Windvest had made up some rough punji traps and had put them around the base, a few other surprises around as well to keep Charlie guessing.

The heavy shelling started up again and everyone bolted, diving for cover and bringing defences online to try and silence the artillery again. In the trenches, Slash handed out canteens, keeping his head down as shells came closer and closer to wiping them out.  
'Percell.' he called softly, tossing another canteen over before climbing up and sitting beside Danny and Zeke. 'Well, we only got about ten gallons left. That's if the dinks didn't hit the barrels in the last few minutes.' he added, tipping his helmet back then ducking as one landed way too close to their foxhole.  
'Just keep your head down LT, we'll survive this.' Zeke nodded, lifting his head slowly.

Running out of the bunker, Speed found Blade and slid to a stop, radio handset held out.  
'Sir, it's the secure net. It's Colonel Dalby from General Woodman's staff.' he offered, handing the set over.  
'This is Bravo 6 over.'  
'What's happening 6?'  
'We're receiving heavy firepower Sir. We need immediate counter artillery support.' Blade reported, trying to stay calm but it was a struggle.  
'We got problems all over. There's a mortar attack on your direct support artillery base. Their headquarters and the fire direction centre are off the air.'  
'What about tac air?' Blade asked, ducking another close call.  
'Negative. Your air cover has been pre-empted by an attack on Long Vee. It's a mess, we got action everywhere.'  
'Sir, we need some help up here.' Blade almost begged, his faith in his abilities badly shaken.  
'Do the best you can Blade, we'll get ya something as soon as it's available.'  
'Yes Sir.' Blade nodded, looking around to try and find Emily so he could get some advice.  
'We can make it through this Blade, we're a tough breed.' Speed sighed, taking the handset back and tucking it into place.  
'I know bro, I'm more worried for Goldman's boys. We've done this but have they?' Blade nodded, turning and walking off to find Emily.

Lifting his head slowly, Braidy looked up and spotted a wounded GI, blood pouring from his leg as he lay there.  
'Hang in there buddy, you're gonna be alright.' he offered, sweeping the wounded man over his shoulders and hustling off, praying for their survival. Passing Revs, Braidy slowed and grabbed the black medic with his tail.  
'Take him to the bunker, they're moving everyone there.' Revs ordered, snugging his helmet down more and shouldering his rifle.  
'Come on Revs, he's in a lot of pain.' Braidy tried, glancing at the wounded man quickly.  
'Hey, I'm outta morphine. I don't think there's any left anywhere on base.' Revs replied, turning and running off.  
'Man, this can't get any worse. Hang in there man.' Braidy groaned, turning and running for the bunker.

Hunkered down behind a sandbag wall, Blade spotted the resupply chopper and nodded, courage returning now that they had a plan of attack and the pieces they needed to make it all come together. Of course, things couldn't be that easy for them. The chopper came under heavy fire and was forced to drop the load and get the hell outta there but they dropped the vital supplies on the wrong side of the wire.  
'If we don't get that ammo, we're gonna be throwing rocks at Charlie.' Bonfire called, running up on Blade's other side.  
'We'll cover you.' Blade nodded, bringing up his rifle.  
'Alright, let's go!' Bonfire yelled, turning and sprinting for the gap in the wire, most of the mice streaming out behind him.

Reaching the net, the guys frantically pulled, releasing the gear and grabbing what they could.  
'Grab it and go! Grab it and go!' Bonfire ordered, lugging the net clear and handing crates back. Falcon stacked up five crates up and grabbed the lot, sprinting back to safety as Decal grabbed the precious water and charged out of the danger zone as well.   
'We can get it all, just keep pushing!' Slash called, lugging two more crates clear of the mess as Christine snagged more water and fled.  
'Ammo is priority!' Sidewinder howled, snatching three crates and hustling clear.  
'Come on guys! Move it!' Emily roared, putting her butt on the line and running out to grab what she could of the supplies.  
'That's the last of it!' Bonfire nodded, picking up the last crate and bolting for the wire, leaving nothing but an empty net behind as some of the guys wrestled the last of the water back to safety.

Setting one of the crates down, Emily knelt and drew her knife, popping the catch and lifting out one of the mortar shells inside. Opening the storage tube, she tipped the shell out and groaned, unable to believe the mistake.  
'These are useless in our tubes.' Myron sighed, looking up at Blade.  
'This is 60mm, we need 81.' Zeke added, taking the round from Emily and hanging his head.  
'These aren't completely useless. Give them to Sidewinder, he'll make them into something we can use.' Emily corrected, returning the mortar to its storage tube before picking up the crate and hustling away with it.

Looking at another of the useless shells, Baker and Percell considered the chance of getting out of this one alive.  
'What was the name of that creek said we were up?' Baker asked, tapping the shell against his hand lightly.  
'We ain't up shit creek just yet bro. Give me those, I've got one hell of a boom to create.' Raider grinned, gathering up more of the shells and running away with them.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Eighteen hundred hours saw everyone hunkered in the bunker, fear raising its ugly head again. Horn was playing his harmonica softly as Randy patched up another wounded soldier and Decal wrote something, but no one knew who he was writing to.  
'Hey Randy.' Revs hissed, sliding over to sit beside the young medic.  
'Yeah?' he nodded, looking up from his patient. Smiling softly, Revs pulled a slightly battered amulet from his pocket and held it up, the low light shining off the metal and stone.  
'What's this for?' Randy asked, taking the amulet and holding it lightly.  
'My father carved it for me, it's supposed to bring you good luck.' Revs replied, happy in the knowledge he was doing the right thing.  
'So why are you giving it to me?' Randy asked, looking at the delicate carving on the deep red stone.  
''Cause I can tell you're gonna be a big successful doctor someday. And I just wanted you to know, if only one of us makes it outta here alive, I'd rather it be you.' Revs explained, taking the chain and securing it around Randy's throat, fingers brushing over the tarnished metal.  
'Thanks Revs but I still believe we'll all make it out alive.' Randy nodded, feeling the warmth of the stone as he slid it inside his shirt.  
'Only time will tell my friend and my bro.' Revs sighed, leaning back against the wall.

Finishing his song, Horn squeezed his fist around his precious harmonica before dropping it into the bag he held and passing it along. Taking the bag, Decal tucked a small black book inside and passed the bag again, head resting on Falcon's shoulder lightly.  
'If we bury it, at least the gooks won't be able to get our stuff.' Emily uttered, tucking her letter from Rusty inside safely.  
'You know, I started writing my mom in English. It's gonna be hard enough for her to understand this is Spanish Sarge.' Ru sighed, screwing up another attempt to write the letter home.  
'It's never easy to say such things Ru.' Emily offered, walking over to sit beside him.  
'Alright, ya'll now listen up here. Now I want you take one of your dogtags and stick it inside your boot, alright.' Zeke instructed, looking around the bunker slowly.  
'Sarge.' Tar called softly, trying to stay calm and focused.  
'Yeah.' Zeke and Emily replied, never sure who was being addressed when the guys called Sarge.  
'We don't have a chance, do we?' Tar asked, leaning against Daytona heavily.  
'Oh yes we do Tar, there's always a chance.' Zeke replied, trying to stay strong for the men.  
'You'll be alright Tar, I swear it.' Emily added, walking over to squeeze his hands lightly.  
'Now Ruiz, when this is over, I want you to get a haircut. You hear me?' Zeke grinned, turning to the shorter man on his other side.  
'I ain't ready for this Sarge.' Ruiz replied, shaking his head slightly.  
'Oh man, nobody is.' Emily sighed, following Zeke from the bunker.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Standing alone in the CP bunker, Blade was fighting to keep it together but with every shell that hit the base, he was feeling more and more out of his depth.  
'What about the support you promised me? Where the hell are they?' he asked, pacing nervously and wishing he could talk to Rusty.  
'They've been diverted to a hot spot up north.'  
'Is the General aware of the situation?' he tried, relaxing fractionally when Emily and Zeke walked in, Myron and Slash joining them moments later.  
'Affirmative. You know the problem as well as I do Blade, we couldn't commit air and artillery to your sector without a confirmed target. We're taking heat everywhere. I'll get back to you.'  
'Yes Sir.' Blade sighed, tossing the handset back onto the radio.  
'What are your orders Sir?' Myron asked, feeling kinda sorry for the tall mouse as he tried to deal with the situation.  
'I have no idea Myron, I haven't got a fucking clue. I need help, I can't deal with this alone.' Blade snapped, really feeling the strain of the situation. 'Damnit Rusty, why'd ya have ta go play hero and get sent home. I can't do this alone.' he sighed, hanging his head.  
'You ain't alone Blade, we can still make a go of this. You have two Lieutenants that you can trust, fifteen Sergeants that know their men. You have explosives techs to call on, gunners and heavy gunners, scouts, spies and snipers. This isn't Briar Rose, this is Vietnam! We can get through this!' Emily snapped, walking over and giving Blade a firm slap across the back of the head. 'Now pull your head in and think! What do we have that we can use to blow Charlie right outta our neighbourhood?'

Straightening up, Blade nodded and instantly refocused, gaze falling on Zeke and Myron.  
'Right, get Sidewinder and his crew moving, tell them to get those mortar shells ready to blow and out on the perimeter. Send some of the guys to find any metal shrapnel they can find on base and load up some fraggers for the guns we've got. Decal's fast, get him to round up some det cord. Emily, reckon you can make us up a grunt's version of napalm?' Blade nodded, ideas snapping in from every direction.  
'Damn straight I can. Zeke, spread the word. I've got a shit load of work to do. I'll need at least five to help me get everything in line. Someone find me a load of soap powder!' Emily replied, turning and bolting from the CP.  
'Soap powder? What the hell does she want that for?' Myron asked, looking at Zeke for suggestions.  
'Beats the hell outta me LT.' Zeke shrugged, wondering what the Martians had planned

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hands flying, the three explosives boys had a little production line going as they rigged the mortar shells up and made them ready for the big boom. Securing them in pairs with detcord, electrical tape and C4, they created a pile of nasty little bombs that would all run back to the detonator on the table among them. Grabbing the first set, Raider hustled out to the wire and got to work, burying the explosives and stringing the electrical wire back behind him.

Over at the big guns, Braid and Center Line packed all manner of metal shrapnel into old casings and wadded them down before loading the cannons.  
'Never thought I'd say this but I wish Torque was here.' Braid remarked, loading the last gun and straightening.  
'I hear ya there Braid. Come on, there's still work to be done.' Center Line nodded, turning and running off to help with the rest of the preparations.

Elsewhere, Emily ran the last turns of detcord around the barrel of fuel and taped a white phosphorus grenade into place as Horn poured a box of flake soap into the barrel before sealing it up again.  
'Okay Falcon, stir it up.' Emily nodded, straightening and moving to the next barrel with Horn as Falcon and Plate picked up the sealed barrel and gave it a good shake to mix the stuff together before putting it back down carefully.

Rigging up another explosives package carefully, Zeke ran the wires into the CP bunker, the last place of refuge for the soldiers if Charlie got through the main show out in the open.  
'That's the last of the mortars in place. It's not a total coverage but it's enough to keep us that little bit safer.' Splat grinned, landing behind Zeke and getting stuck into the work left to be done there.  
'Heck, as long as we survive this, I don't really care.' Zeke shrugged, running the wires inside and putting the detonator someplace safe.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Darkness fell and everyone moved into position, ready for the grand show that was about to unfold. It was now twenty-one hundred hours and while some of the guys were feeling the strain, most were holding strong and more than ready for a little payback. Moving through the trenches, Emily handed out the last of the water to Goldman's platoon, knowing full well the Martians were adapted to working in this heat without the benefit of too much to drink. Myron and Slash were also moving in the trenches, offering a few words to the men gazing out in the inky blackness and waiting for Charlie to raise his ugly head.

Slipping into the darkness, Blade joined the line, looking up as Myron crouched beside him.  
'Just heard from battalion.' he uttered, shoving his tags back inside his shirt.  
'Yeah?' Myron nodded, hoping against hope.  
'Nothing.' Blade sighed, adjusting his hold on his rifle. 'You ready?' he asked, glancing at Myron and Zeke.  
'Yeah, you?' Zeke nodded, his voice betraying nothing of his inner thoughts.  
'Yeah. You wait until they're on us Zeke.' Blade grinned, relaxed and calm after Emily's little pep up in the bunker.  
'Yes Sir.' Zeke nodded, amazed by how calm Blade was now compared to earlier.  
'I'm proud to be fighting here with you Zeke.' Blade grinned, offering his hand. Zeke said nothing as he took the offered hand for a moment before Blade moved off, heading for his place on the line. Much like Rusty, Blade didn't lead from the rear, he was up the front and among his men all the time, letting them know he was willing to risk it all for them.

Shooting into her place beside Tank, Emily tensed for a moment before relaxing, Rom and Rem pressed in against the wall of the trench and ready to move the moment things got too dangerous or Emily gave them an order.  
'Incoming!' Goggles howled, listening for the scream of rockets overhead.  
'Alright, when the shells hit get ya heads back up! Charlie's gonna be right behind em!' Emily and Zeke roared, the message passing quickly as the arty shells hammered down on them again. Among the chaos, four men moved almost constantly, doing what they could for the wounded and keeping the guys fighting.  
'You stick with me Randy, no matter what.' Revs ordered, staying right on Randy's ass as they hustled along the trenches together.  
'Count on it Revs.' Randy nodded, hitting the ground as another explosion rang out.

As quickly as it started, the shells stopped falling and the troops popped up, rifles at the ready as they waited for Charlie to make his grand entrance.  
'Here they come!' Slash called, pressed shoulder to shoulder with Danny in their hole.  
'Don't fire till you hear the 60's!' Zeke ordered, settling beside Plate and bringing his rifle to bear.  
'Stand by, I'm gonna hit the mortars!' Sidewinder called, picking up the detonator in front of him and waiting for a moment longer. Depressing the plunger and turning it sharply, he ducked as the roughly made bombs went off in tremendous explosions, sending up gouts of dirt as they went to work with deadly efficiency.  
'Alright, they're coming! Wait till they hit the wire then give them a jolt!' Slash ordered, glancing at Taylor and grinning quickly.

Eyes narrow and cold, Center Line paused a moment longer before opening fire, his M-60 carving up the enemy along with so many more rifles. The bodies started to pile up on the wire but still they came, the cries of the dying and wounded filling the air. The fear was gone now, replaced with a sense of pride and duty as the two platoons pulled as one unit, old arguments and problems tossed aside in favour of nailing Charlie. The sheer weight of numbers finally won out and the enemy flooded the wires, climbing over the fallen to get back.  
'Fall back to the CP!' Emily roared, lobbing a couple grenades into the enemy before pulling back. More grenades flew as the guys moved in waves, covering and being covered. 

Holding his place a moment longer, Braid fired off the main gun and listened to the agonised screams as he fell back, dragging Myron along with him as they leapt into the trenches and ran for cover. Up on ground level, Revs swore and turned, looking for Randy in the chaos.  
'Damnit. Em, I lost Matsuda!' he called, diving into a trench before he got his head taken off.  
'Rom, Rem, find Randy and protect him! Get him to the CP!' Emily ordered, running hard as the dogs bounded from the trench and started their search.

Finding the medic, Rom and Rem grabbed him by the webbing and pulled, dragging him closer to one of the trenches. Falcon saw them and lifted his head, firing in a wide arc over the trio as Randy screamed, blood pooling on his side.  
'Hang in there bro, you're gonna be okay.' Fog soothed, rolling the young medic into the trench and running off with him, Rem and Rom jumping to safety before they were taking out of the fight permanently.  
'Everyone into the CP!' Emily cried, supporting Zeke and watching the men as they piled into the bunker.

Squeezing in close, the troops kept their rifles to hand even as they played the craziest game of sardines in the history of the world.  
'Get away from the door!' Zeke barked, squeezing in between Blade and Slash as Fog carried Randy in and set him down beside Revs.  
'Hang in there Randy, you're gonna make it.' Revs soothed, flying into action to save the Asiatic medic. Shard and Shift saw the situation and moved to assist, covering both medics with their bodies as the last troops raced in and Emily took a quick headcount.  
'All in! Rom, Rem, to me!' Emily nodded, grabbing the dogs and holding them close.  
'Everybody down! Here goes our second jolt!' Zeke roared, grabbing another detonator as he hit the wall. Covering their heads and pressing closer, the mixed force listened to the explosions going off around them and felt the ground shake with every bang.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Coughing harshly, Emily lifted her head from Rom's back and grabbed her torch, the faint light doing little to chase away the dusty gloom in the bunker. All around her, the guys were coughing and spluttering as they sat up, more torches flickering to life. Turning her focus away from the guys, Emily checked her boys over for injuries, freezing when she found blood on Rem's side.  
'It's Randy's, he got hit as they were dragging him clear.' Fog offered, soothing her panic quickly.  
'Shh, listen.' Myron hissed, eyes turning towards the roof of the bunker. Everyone fell silent and listened to the sounds of digging from outside, snatches of Vietnamese audible among the scraping of moving metal and wood.  
'Alright, Charlie's digging through. Alright, everybody get down as flat as you can.' Zeke instructed, wriggling down a little more as Blade picked up the last detonator and held it to his chest. Shuffling and scraping, the troops reorganised their positions, cramming in closer and hugging the ground.  
'See ya'll in hell.' Blade nodded, turning the trigger sharply.

The roar of the explosion was near deafening for those in the bunker but under the roar of the grunts napalm, they could hear the scream of the enemy as they were taking apart by the surprise attack.  
'Just wish I coulda seen what that stuff was capable of.' Emily sighed, powerful arms wrapped around her precious dogs to keep them on the ground.  
'Check the damage in the mornin' Em.' Danny suggested, head buried in Baker's back due to the lack of space.  
'First we gotta get out of this mess.' Braidy grinned, arm looped around Myron's chest.  
'Get some rest if ya can guys, we're gonna be stuck here a while.' Slash suggested, laying his head on Danny's shoulder and closing his eyes.  
'Sounds like a plan, I'm beat.' Shard nodded, shuffling away from Revs and Randy a little before laying his head on Voodoo's leg and getting comfortable, helmet dropping to the dust as he released the chin strap.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Head snapping up, Magura heard the sound of rotors outside and grinned, nudging the guys around him.  
'I hear choppers! Guys, wake up and make some noise! We're gonna get outta here!' he called, getting to his knees and lifting his voice.  
'Hey, in here!' Falcon directed, thumping on a piece of metal poking through the destroyed doorway.  
'Over here, I hear voices!' one of the rescuers called, starting to scrape at the collapsed defences around the CP.

Shielding their eyes as the doorway was reopened, the guys climbed out and reached down to help their buddies up out of the bunker.  
'Gently now guys, he's still alive.' Revs instructed, easing Randy up and handing him over to Falcon before climbing out. Emily waited for everyone else to leave before checking to make sure nothing was forgotten. Pausing a moment, she collected Randy's bloodied uniform shirt and stuffed it into a fresh plastic bag before putting it into one of her pouches.  
'Easy boys, up you go.' she grinned, handing the dogs out before climbing up and looking around at the shattered firebase.

The once proud firebase was now nothing more than a smouldering wreck, sandbags blasted open and practically nothing left standing.  
'Ha! Take that Charlie! We're still here!' Blade roared, pride filling his chest as he looked at the remains of his base.  
'Told ya we could hold on Blade.' Emily grinned, clapping Zeke on the shoulder happily.  
'The real praise belongs to Sidewinder and his explosives boys, we'd be in real trouble if not for them.' Zeke nodded, turning and wrapping one arm around Splat's shoulders.  
'Nothing to it Zeke.' Raider shrugged, hauling Emission up out of the bunker and walking over to sit on what remained of a sandbag wall.

Turning slightly, Blade spotted the approaching Colonel but couldn't summon up the energy to care as the stress of the last twenty-four hours slowly lifted from his shoulders.  
'Blade, are you okay?' the Colonel asked, looking up at the exhausted mouse.  
'Yes Sir, Colonel Dalby.' Blade nodded, barely managing to keep his feet. 'We lost a lotta good men.' he added, giving up the fight and sagging onto another damaged sandbag wall.  
'You did a hell of a job. The General's gonna be real proud of you. You all did a hell of a job. The damn kill ratio must be better than eleven to one. We slaughtered them.' Dalby praised, looking around the group.  
'It don't matter Sir, we're bloody lucky to still be alive.' Emily snarled, lifting her head from where she was kneeling beside a young soldier, dead before he even had a chance to live.  
'You're wrong Sir, we were the ones that were nearly slaughtered. We owe our survival to dumb luck more than any planning. If not for the smart thinking of Sidewinder, we would be dead.' Myron added, hands shaking as he pulled out his cigarettes.  
'Here LT, let me.' Falcon uttered, holding up his lighter and lightly laying one hand on Myron's back to keep him on his feet.  
'Thanks Falcon. I'll be happy if we never go through that again.' Myron sighed, sinking to the ground and trying to release the post-battle tension.  
'Now this is just the kinda head on fight we've been waiting for. And with a little luck, there will be a lot more days like this one.' Dalby continued, patting Blade on the shoulder.  
'God I hope not, I'll be happy if we never have another fucking day like that again.' Slash groaned, plopping down beside Myron.  
'I hear ya there bro.' Myron agreed, offering him a cigarette. Slash grinned and took one, lighting up quickly and sagging more as he relaxed.

Around them, the guys split up and got to work, salvaging what they could and piling up the rubbish to be dealt with later.  
'Em, Randy wants a word before they take him to the rear.' Revs called, crouching beside the wounded medic. Emily grinned and ran over, Romus and Remus right at her feet as always and showing no sign of the strain most of the guys were dealing with. Crouching beside him, Emily lightly took Randy's hand, thumb running over his knuckles.  
'I told you we'd get ya home Randy.' she grinned, supporting his head gently as he opened his eyes and smiled.  
'Never doubted you would. First Captain Wallace and now its my turn. My thanks to you two as well, probably wouldn't be here if not for your help.' Randy replied, reaching out and patting the dogs lightly.  
'Here, a little reminder of us.' Emily uttered, handing him a sealed envelope, his name and the number 2005 written on the front.  
'Safe flight Randy, we'll see ya around some time.' Shard offered, joining the group around the wounded medic.  
'You take care of the guys now, their lives are in your hands.' Randy nodded, taking Shard's hand and squeezing gently.  
'Count on it bro, we'll keep them alive.' Shift promised, laying his hands on Randy's shoulders.  
'See ya round bros, you too Em.' Randy sighed, giving Shift's hand a gentle squeeze too before he was lifted and carried to the waiting chopper.  
'There goes another bloody good man.' Emily sighed, getting to her feet and heading to help with the rebuilding efforts.


	9. The Second Shock

'Guys! We got another door!' Rusty called, running into the rec room. Torque quickly shot off Bandit's lap, pushing his hair back out of his face.  
'Who is it?' Bandit asked, getting to his feet and running over to the security terminal.  
'Randy Matsuda, our medic.' Rusty replied, hurrying over to stand beside Bandit as he tried to find the new arrival.  
'There. He's in the infirmary.' Bandit announced, spinning and taking off own the corridor.  
'Don't scare him.' Torque added, taking off after Bandit and Rusty.

Skidding around the last corner, Rusty glanced back at Bandit and Torque for a moment before entering the infirmary, eyes scanning everywhere for the fallen medic.  
'I hope you're ready for this Randy.' he uttered, spotting him lying on the floor near one of the neatly made beds. Crouching beside him, Rusty lightly squeezed his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake.

Groaning softly, Randy opened his eyes and blinked, not sure he believed what he was seeing.  
'Captain Wallace?' he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly.  
'Yeah, I'm here. This is going to sound strange but welcome to the year 2009. For some reason, instead of going home, we've been transported here.' Rusty grinned, waving for Bandit and Torque to come in and say hi.  
'Where is here?' Randy asked, still trying to take everything in.  
'This is where we live, under Emily's watchful eye. We live under the streets of Chicago, safe from harm by those who don't understand us.' Torque replied, taking a knee beside Rusty and smiling softly.  
'I don't recognise you two. Who are you?' Randy nodded, pulling Emily's letter from his pocket and tearing it open.  
'I'm Torque and that's Bandit. We got left behind to keep this place clean and welcoming for anyone who happens to drop in on us.' Torque offered, easing Randy to his feet and letting him look his fill.  
'So what happens now Sir?' Randy enquired, turning his gaze to Rusty.  
'You get settled in and get changed, and then we can relax and wait. You have a lot to catch up on Randy, some forty years of history.' Rusty grinned, picking up Randy's gear and heading for the door. 'Oh, since we're civilians now, call me Rusty.'  
'Rusty, Bandit and Torque.' Randy nodded, following Rusty from the room.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Gear unpacked and relaxing in his cleanest fatigues, Randy sunk into the soft cushions and sipped his beer, eyes closed in contentment.  
'So how are the guys doing?' Bandit asked, walking in and handing lunch around.  
'When I left, they were absolutely exhausted. We came bloody close to being overrun. Man, you should have seen Emily, she was a machine. We own our continued survival to Sidewinder, Splat and Raider; they came up with some really ingenious way to defend the base with mortars that wouldn't fit our tubes. Emily also came up with something we christened grunts napalm by mixing diesel and soap flakes and setting it off with detcord and white phosphorus grenades. Braid and Center Line filled old shell casings with nuts and bolts and nails and put them through the artillery on base. I've never seen anything like it before.' Randy recalled, shaking his head in amazement at the ingenuity of the Martian forces.  
'Good ol' Winder. I swear that guy can make an explosive out of a potato and an old boot.' Bandit chuckled, sorry he'd missed the fight but content where he was.  
'And talk about low-tech success. We were getting pounded by this big gun that no one could locate. Blade sent six mice out to sit in the scrub and listen. When they got back, the arty boys silenced that gun fairly quickly, all thanks to six guys listening in the scrub.' Randy continued, the details fresh in his mind.  
'You just know Decal, Hammer and Phantom were a part of that.' Torque nodded, picking up his burger and tucking in happily.  
'Is Blade still in command or did the higher ups replace him?' Rusty asked, inhaling the rich smells of his pizza.  
'He's still in command. From what I heard, he had a moment of pure panic down in the CP when he realised how bad things could go but Em snapped him back around. A lot of the crazy stuff we did was his idea.' Randy grinned, stealing a slice of pizza and hooking into it happily.  
'It must be something to watch the guys in action.' Bandit sighed, pinching one of Randy's chips and settling back.  
'I'll be back in a moment.' Randy called, getting up and running out of the rec room.

Bolting back a few minutes later, he set two film canisters on the table and went back to his lunch as Rusty picked them up and read the labels.  
'Where did you get this?' he asked, eyes blowing wide at the possibilities.  
'It was in the bottom of my footlocker. No idea how it got there or who it came from.' Randy shrugged, enjoying his kebab and beer.  
'I think Em's got an old projector that'll take that. I'll have a look after lunch.' Torque offered, looking at the canister and thinking fast.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Lugging the old projector down from the storage room, Torque set it up on the table as Bandit pulled out the screen and erected in in front of the TV.  
'Everyone ready?' Torque asked, feeding the film in and making sure everything was good.  
'Yeah, let's see what Randy brought home.' Rusty nodded, sipping his beer as Bandit hit the lights and the film started rolling.  
'This is the day we took that reporter into the boonies…and lost you.' Randy identified, smiling softly as the familiar faces crossed the screen.  
'But this isn't her film. She had strict instructions not to get 14 on camera.' Rusty replied, spotting Blade and falling silent.

Everything had been faithfully recorded for them on a second camera no one had known about. They laughed at the antics of the men as they fawned over the beautiful reporter and showed off their skills for the folks back home.  
'Way to go Em.' Torque grinned, watching as Emily easily flicked Zeke over her knee and pinned him there.  
'She really learnt her lessons well.' Bandit agreed, slinging one arm around Torque's shoulders as they watched the show unfolding.

Everyone was soon caught up in the action, watching as the massed company moved and worked as one right up to Charlie's bunker.  
'Get 'em Em; they're no match for you.' Torque uttered, leaning forward a little more as Rusty's group headed for the bamboo.  
'Bad choice of mice, too big for comfort.' Bandit nodded, watching Tank and Sidewinder slip in behind Rusty.  
'Owe them my life.' Rusty shrugged, wincing as he saw his downfall so clearly.  
'Ohh, that looks even more painful than I thought.' Randy commented, glancing at Rusty quickly.  
'You have no idea but I kept going.' Rusty grinned, eyes locked on the screen as he was hauled to his feet.

Watching the battle in wonder, Bandit and Torque felt nothing but pride as they sat silent witnesses to the horrors of the day and saw the carnage everyone was dealing with.  
'And here's my less than gracious exit.' Rusty sighed, hanging his head as Tank bodily scooped him up and took off, Sidewinder right on his flank.  
'Hey, you're alive. Nothin' else matters.' Bandit offered, amazed by the small changes he was seeing in his friends.  
'True enough.' Rusty nodded, focus back on the screen as the film snapped back to Emily and Zeke on the hillside.

Breath caught in their throats, the quartet watched Zeke fall and cheered as Emily picked him up, his weight nothing to her as she ran to the stream and put him down before dressing his leg and tucking the bloodied cloth in her pocket.  
'What a strange trophy.' Randy muttered, turning the idea over in his mind as Emily picked Zeke up again and ran on back to the guys.  
'That's Em for ya.' Torque shrugged, chuckling as Emily literally dropped Zeke off and moved off camera again, the focus staying on the main body of the fight.

#$~$#@#$~$#

After watching the second film, the four men sat quietly, struggling to come to terms with what they'd seen and heard.  
'I'm surprised there wasn't more casualties that day. You guys were real lucky.' Torque whistled, putting the second film away before putting both up on the shelf and moving the projector out of the way.  
'I think Myron summed it up best - we owe our survival to dumb luck more than any planning.' Randy nodded, getting up and grabbing a fresh round of beers from the fridge.  
'I'd say he summed it up nicely. That is bloody crazy.' Bandit agreed, folding up the screen and leaning it against the wall.  
'Still regret not going?' Rusty asked, ripping his beer open and walking over to set up the pool table for a game.  
'Yep, we should be there with our bros.' Torque replied, his opinion unchanged by what they'd witnessed.


	10. The Hill

Jumping out of the chopper, Emily hoisted her dogs down before heading for the base, the rest of the exhausted double platoon stringing out behind her.  
'I bet the Cong are back up there already.' Horn called, jumping down and following Myron across the grass.  
'Orders are orders Horn, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't stage a sit down strike.' Myron replied, temper frayed after a morning of hell.  
'It's so stupid. Four guys died on that hill and we turn around and walk away. I wanna know why!' Horn demanded, fed up with the war in total.  
'Horn just shut up. We're all sick and tired of this fucking war! Just like we're sick of your fucking Dawk Talk. Now shut up and do your fucking job before you get us all killed!' Fang snapped, one hand firmly over Horn's mouth before he said anything that would piss the guys off even more than they already were.  
'Thank you Fang, I'd have considered shootin' him if I had to hear any more of that shit.' Bonfire muttered, patting Fang on the shoulder before walking off.  
'Don't think you're the only one bro.' Myron nodded, glancing at Bonfire as the group headed for their temporary racks.

Butts dragging, the team filed into base and headed for their bunkrooms, too damn tired to notice anything going on around them.  
'Whoa there soldier. Aren't you forgetting something?' a clean and tidy Lieutenant asked, turning to Horn as he walked away. Horn turned slowly, face etched with exhaustion. 'I asked you a question Specialist.'  
'Oh man, just what we didn't need.' Chain groaned, turning to watch the situation unfolding.  
'I don't know what you've been doing today Sir. But we've been out fighting the war and the last thing I need is a salute.' Horn replied, walking back to the irritating Lieutenant.  
'I asked you a question.' Lieutenant Biggs repeated, unimpressed with Horn's attitude and refusing to back down.  
'I got this one.' Slash grinned, stopping Zeke and walking over to support Horn. 'Excuse me Biggs.' he called, stopping between the pair.  
'What is it Lieutenant?' Biggs asked, still trying his luck with the exhausted men.  
'These men are all very tired. We lost some of our people today and usually, at the firebase, we don't salute the officers. That sort of thing usually winds up with dead officers and spooked men.' Slash explained, not taking his eyes off the clean man as Blade stepped up behind him.  
'I appreciate what you're saying and what you've been through, I really do. But this is not a firebase and we can't let all our discipline go just because we had a bad day.' Biggs replied, the message just not sinking in. 'now I want this soldier to render a proper hand salute to a superior officer.'  
'Lieutenant Slash, Sir!' Horn snapped, turning full on and ripping off the best salute he'd ever pulled off.  
'Dismissed Specialist.' Slash replied, smiling softly as he moved aside.  
'Where's your salute to a superior officer?' Blade asked, stepping forward and waiting. Biggs looked then did a double take before snapping to attention, hand coming up automatically.  
'Now watch Blade make this boy pay.' Slash muttered, one arm around Horn's shoulders lightly.

Looking at the Lieutenant for a moment, Blade drew his service pistol and calmly cleaned it, making sure to get into every nook and cranny.  
'Emily, do your dogs need to go?' he asked, looking up to make certain the Lieutenant hadn't moved before turning his focus to Emily.  
'I should think so Sir, it's been a long day for them.' Emily replied, patting both dogs quickly.  
'Well then, you'd better see that they are relieved.' Blade nodded, subtly indicating the troublesome Lieutenant.  
'Of course Sir.' Emily replied, kneeling and releasing her boys. 'Toilet time boys.' she instructed, subtly indicating the trapped Lieutenant. Bounding off, they vanished around the building before coming up behind the Lieutenant.

One on either side, Rom and Rem looked totally innocent as they cocked their legs and relieved themselves, right on the legs of the irksome Lieutenant. Completely trapped now, all Biggs could do was stand there and take it as the troops around him roared with laughter, leaning on each other for support. Even Blade cracked a grin, glancing at Myron and nodding.  
'And that's how to deal with Remf officers.' Slash uttered, laying a hand on Emily's shoulder lightly.  
'Is that better now boys?' Emily asked, crouching as the dogs ran over to her and sat.

Finally taking pity on Biggs, Blade returned the salute and walked off, the rest of the guys composing themselves and moving off, saluting Biggs and making him return another fifty odd salutes before deciding they'd messed with his head enough.  
'That was too funny.' Zeke grinned, arm around Bonfire's shoulders.  
'Would have been even funnier if Blade was really free to give him hell. You wouldn't believe some of the things we get up to around annoying officers back home.' Sidewinder shrugged, looking forward to a nice long nap.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Trooping into the barracks, the guys quickly ditched their gear and settled, relieved to have come home safe after another day in the boonies.  
'Well, I know one thing. I'm gonna go over to the club, wash this nasty funk off me, and get me a case of beer. Ya'll welcome to join me if ya like.' Taylor grinned, kneeling beside his new rack and dumping his gear.  
'Well, as funky as you are Taylor, that could take you a couple hours.' Zeke replied, leaning in the door and watching the guys relax.  
'And run this damn base outta clean water.' Emily teased, rifle resting on one foot lightly.  
'Nah, that's when Falcon gets in the shower.' Tank piped up, kicking off his boots and stretching out on his bunk.  
'Yeah, I just wanna get over there and see that stripper. Start thinking about all the joy I'm gonna bring them girls in Sin City tomorrow.' Taylor replied, earning a few excited agreements from the guys in the room.  
'Well now wait a minute ya'll. You might have to til tomorrow afternoon on this Sin City business. Cause you've got an award ceremony tomorrow morning before breakfast.' Bonfire called, appearing behind Emily.  
'Award ceremony?' Horn asked, relieved to have that damn radio off his back.  
'Yeah, award ceremony. All these valiant warriors here among ya, you're gonna get some medals to pin on your chest. That way when you go on back to the world, you can impress the women.' Zeke grinned, looking around the room.  
'Ha-ha! I don't believe this! What are we gonna get for today Sarge? The Silver Shaft with a Cowpie cluster? Man, this army's getting to be too much for me.' Horn scoffed, tightening the straps on his webbing.  
'Horn, I'm warning you.' Fang growled, temper still a little frayed.  
'Oh come on Horn, lighten up here a little bit. You're gonna give yourself a hernia there.' Emily sighed, shaking her head slowly.  
'Now I want ya'll looking your best now. Cause ya'll are good soldiers, you're damn good soldiers and that ain't nothin' to be ashamed of.' Zeke added, turning and heading for the door.  
'Well then, you'd better not go on parade. With your ugly mug, you'll scare the big honcho away.' Emily teased, earning a few laughs as Zeke stopped dead and looked back at the men.  
'I'm gonna get ya for that Hunter.' he challenged, briefly regretting taking his webbing off and holding it in hand.  
'You gotta catch me first ya big lug!' Emily called, turning and sprinting off across the base.  
'Oh I'll getcha alright Em.' Zeke nodded, hastily securing his webbing before taking off after her.

Spotting the pair on the charge, Blade grabbed Myron and Slash by the collar, yanking them both out of the way as Emily charged past, glancing over her shoulder at Zeke.  
'Come on Anderson! You swore you'd catch me!' she called, snapping right and tearing away.  
'Damn right I will!' Anderson replied, taking a different track around the building. Emily yelped and spun, bolting back the other way but now Zeke was right on her.  
'Floor it Em!' Myron called, looking forward to seeing the result.  
'Get her Zeke!' Slash grinned, wondering who was going to take the victory. Tossing his rifle aside, Zeke leapt at Emily and tackled her hard, sending them down to the ground heavily.  
'Well caught Zeke. Didn't think you'd get here for a while.' Blade chuckled, hauling them both to their feet quickly.  
'It's been years since anyone caught me in game of chase. I usually leave them in the dust.' Emily added, panting heavily as she stood there.  
'Next time, watch where ya throw ya rifle.' Slash groused, rubbing his jaw lightly as he tossed Zeke the weapon.  
'Sorry bout that LT. wasn't looking at the weapon, I was trying to keep up with Em.' Zeke replied, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and walking off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Standing tall on parade the next morning, Emily glanced at Zeke and grinned, amazed to be considered for a medal despite the fact she shouldn't have even been there.  
'Staff Sergeant Emily B Hunter, the Silver Star for gallantry and heroism in ground combat in the Ben Kay valley; 9 December 1967. Sergeant Hunter took a flamethrower and with complete disregard for her own personal safety single-handedly destroyed the NVA position, saving her platoon and killing a large number of enemy soldiers. Her heroism also resulted in the discovery of critical intelligence that saved other American lives. Sergeant Hunter's actions are in the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on herself, his unit and the United States Army. The Purple Heart for wounds received in action.' Captain Lewis announced, struggling to accept the fact he was talking about a woman.  
'Congratulations Sergeant.' Colonel Dalby offered, handing Emily her medal case and shaking her hand warmly.  
'Thank you Sir.' she replied, snapping off a crisp salute.

Zoning out a little now, Emily listened to snatches of the rest of the ceremony, smiling proudly as her closest friends were granted awards that they had never dreamed of receiving.  
'Private Daytona Softail, the Bronze Star for heroism in ground combat. With complete disregard for his own safety, in the face of enemy fire, he gallantly rescued a downed pilot from behind the enemy lines.'  
'Corporal Braidy Savage, the Army Commendation Medal for heroism in ground combat. While cut off from his unit, he single-handedly assaulted a heavily fortified enemy bunker.'  
'Specialist Fourth Class Center Line Ricten, the Bronze Star for valour. With the rest of his unit pinned down, Private Ricten unselfishly ran from his position to rescue his fallen comrades.'  
'Corporal Tank Leopard, the Army Commendation Medal for Valour. With complete disregard of his personal safety, saved the life of a fellow soldier.'  
'Specialist Fourth Class Chain Linkasha, the purple heart for wounds received in action behind enemy lines.'  
'Sergeant Sidewinder Taurus, the Bronze Star for Heroism in Ground Combat. With no regard for his personal safety, Sergeant Taurus saved the life of his superior officer and fellow soldier.'  
'Lieutenant Slash Potos, the Bronze Star for Valour. Lieutenant Potos' actions are in the highest tradition of military service and reflect credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.'

Shaking her head quickly, Emily snapped back to the moment and straightened up, looking like she had actually paid total attention to the long list of commendations that were handed out. Waiting for the order, the mixed team came together and pulled off a perfect dismiss before wandering away, laughing and joking around like always.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Standing well off to the side, Christine listened and learned, picking up on Myron's insecurities and Zeke's pure exhaustion.  
'I'm not buying it. You know, I'm supposed to be the platoon leader, I'm supposed to know what's going on. Instead, I know absolutely nothing.' Myron groused, walking away from Zeke and doing another lap of the small veranda.  
'LT, now the men don't expect you to have all the answers, they just expect you to do your job.' Zeke replied, calm in the face of Myron's storm.  
'I know but how are they supposed to have any confidence in what I'm telling them when I don't have any confidence in what I'm telling them myself? I can't keep sending them out on missions that have absolutely no purpose.' Myron ranted, voice rising slightly.  
'LT, those are the orders.' Zeke countered, still calm and focused.  
'Yeah but I don't believe in the orders and neither do you. Horn's absolutely right, and I gotta write a letter to the parents of the guys that we lost. Dear Mrs Mitchell, I'm sorry your son died in Vietnam. But it wasn't the Viet Cong that killed him, it was a, you know, a damn snake.' Myron continued, tired of the war and losing men.  
'Wait a second. LT, I gotta tell you something here. You're gonna make yourself crazy.' Zeke warned, wondering how much longer he could handle the young Lieutenant and his fiery temper.

Enjoying the feeling of the fresh rain drizzling down her back, Christine stayed where she was as a blond female Lieutenant walked over to Myron and Zeke.  
'Am I interrupting?' she asked, hands in her pockets.  
'No, its okay.' Myron replied, looking at Zeke for a moment.  
'Can I talk to you?' she tried, twitching just a little as she stood there.  
'Yeah, we're done now.' Zeke nodded, turning and walking away quickly. Stepping up out of the rain, the blonde woman got right up into Myron's personal space, looking away as Myron played with her collar.  
'This isn't exactly how I planned it but you're here and I don't know you're moving out so, here goes. I'm not gonna marry you Myron, I can't.' she uttered, looking up at him sadly.  
'Wait a minute, wait, just hang on.' Myron tried to bring her around, desperate to hold onto the one good thing to have come out of this war.  
'No, let me talk. Just let me get this out.' she cut him off, almost losing her nerve.  
'Okay.' Myron nodded, swallowing quickly.  
'I've really tried to think this through and I'm trying to put that fear out of my mind that the next dead guy coming in could be you. But I can't and I cannot live everyday in that fear. I won't pretend I can. It's just no fair, to me or to you. I've put in for a transfer. So I'll be leaving as soon as it comes in. I'm sorry.' she explained, battling to keep her composure and dropping her gaze.  
'Wait, wait a minute. C'mon…' Myron uttered, running his hand over her cheek and neck lightly. 'I…I love you, you know.' he continued, swallowing heavily as he tried to keep his composure.  
'I know.' she replied, pushing his hands back before turning and walking away. Myron reached for her but let her go, heart shattering into a million pieces at the moment.

Making her choice in a heartbeat, Christine darted over to Myron and lightly caught his hand, leading him around the corner and sitting him down on the floor. Easing down beside him, she lightly traced her fingers through his hair, trying to find the right words.  
'I'm sorry Myron, you deserve so much better than this. I just wish there was something I could do…apart from this.' Christine sighed, gently enfolding Myron in her arms.  
'Christine, someone might see us. I don't need to tell you about the fraternization rule.' Myron hissed, fighting her hold.  
'Relax, everyone knows I'm a married woman. Besides, in all technicalities, we aren't covered by that fraternization rule. We're a Martian contingent assigned to your unit, the American military has no authority over us.' Christine soothed, calming Myron's struggles with a gentle hand.  
'Braid's not gonna freak is he?' Myron asked, relaxing a little more as Christine lay her head on his shoulder.  
'Nah, he'll understand. He knows I've got a big heart and really hate to see anyone hurting.' Christine replied, smiling softly as Myron slumped against her, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. 'What she did to you was wrong. You don't deserve to be dropped like a hot potato. Things like that should be treated delicately, not thrown in your face after a day like we've had.' she continued, shuffling closer and draping her arm around Myron's slouched frame lightly.  
'I loved her…god did I love her.' Myron whispered, his thinly held control fracturing severely.  
'I know Myron, I know. I understand the language of love and heard every unspoken detail of your conversation. As much as you loved her, she was too restricted to return the feelings. I don't know why she was acting like that but that's the cold hard truth of it Myron.' Christine sighed, wishing she had more idea about how to handle this situation.  
'So what now?' Myron asked, barely holding onto what little control he had left.  
'Shhh, no more words. Just put your head down and let go. Everyone here knows you're under stress and understand that we all need a little time to ourselves once in a while. Stop trying to be the rock for your men, ain't no shame in letting them see you're human. Let it go Myron, just let it all go.' Christine whispered, fingers playing in his hair gently. 'Ain't healthy to hold all that pain and torment inside, ya gotta let go Myron.' 

Burying his head on Christine's soft fur, Myron held on for a few breaths before he finally snapped, shoulders heaving as he wept quietly, absolutely shattered mentally and emotionally.  
'That's it Myron, just let go. I'm here, you don't have to be strong now. Don't hold anything back, you'll feel better when you've let it all go.' she uttered, rocking slowly and letting Myron hold her close, tears leaving a wet trail on her shirt.  
'Don't let me fall Chris, please don't let me fall.' Myron choked, huddling in closer to her side.  
'Never Myron, I will never let you fall. You're safe with us, no matter the hell thrown in your direction. You will never stand alone anymore.' Christine promised, laying her chin on his head and squeezing him close. 'I'm here, no matter what.'

Lifting his head a few minutes later, Myron wiped his eyes and sniffed, cracking a weak smile.  
'Feel any better now?' Chris asked gently, pulling a bandana out of her pocket and handing it over. 'Clean yourself up, you look a fright.'  
'Thanks Chris, for everything. I do feel better but I'm not sure how long it'll last.' Myron nodded, wiping his face and shoving the bandana into his pocket.  
'If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you. Can't say I enjoy the smell of wet fur but for you, I'll cope.' Christine replied, ruffling Myron's hair affectionately and managing to wring a snort of laughter out of him as he batted her hand away.  
'Cut that out Chris, I still gotta look respectable for the men.' he growled but there was no heat in his words and he was still grinning.  
'You gonna make me Myron?' Christine prodded, catching Myron's hands in her tail and giving him another good scruffing.  
'You bet I am.' Myron retorted, using his body as a lever to send them both rolling off the veranda and into the mud.  
'Rank or not, you're gonna pay for that.' Christine growled, flipping Myron over and stuffing a nice big handful of mud down his back.  
'You so didn't do that Chris.' Myron yelped, flipping their positions again and returning the favour.

Hearing the screams, Zeke and Emily bolted across the base to see what was going on to cause such a ruckus.  
'Whoa, are you seeing what I'm seeing?' Zeke asked, sliding to a stop and watching the pair tussle happily in the mud and rain, the war forgotten the time being.  
'Yep, Chris and Myron are mud wrestling. Good ol' Chris, she always knows how to brighten up the day.' Emily grinned, relaxing as she watched the pair acting like kids.  
'and there's no doubting' the LT needs a chance to unwind just like everyone else.' Zeke agreed, warming up to the idea as Myron squealed and shoved Christine off, mud squished under his shirts and all over his chest.  
'I'll get you yet Chris.' Myron growled, tackling her again and really working the mud into her fur, getting it everywhere but still staying within proper boundaries.  
'Should we intervene?' Zeke asked, glancing at Emily again.  
'Nah, they'll tire eventually. Let them play, Chris deserves a chance to play the childhood games she never got to back home.' Emily shrugged, taking one last look at the wrestling pair before walking away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

News spread fast through the camp and the mood turned sour in an instant.  
'Well, I'd better go get the guys who headed into Sin City.' Zeke sighed, looking at Blade for a moment before walking off to get a jeep.  
'I don't fuckin' believe this. We've already been through this once! Just once, I'd like to see the higher ups out in the boonies with us. Maybe then we wouldn't get stuck with this fuckin' shit!' Slash snapped, lashing out at the nearest wall.  
'From shit to good to shit in a matter of a couple hours. This bites, this fucking bites.' Myron growled, kicking at a rock and sending it soaring across the base.  
'Crackin' the shits ain't gonna get the job done any faster you two. I don't like this any more than you do but we can't do a fuckin' thing 'bout it. Now get ya heads on straight and get ready for the hell we've got to face!' Emily barked, reaching out and cracking both Lieutenant's across the head. 'We can survive this, if we just work together.' 

Barrelling from his quarters, Falcon struggled against Tank, Plate and Sidewinder as they tried to stop him from doing something stupid.  
'Let me at them! I'm gonna wring their scrawny necks for daring to send us back. It's not right man, it's just not right!' he screamed, still fighting forward.  
'Falcon, now isn't the time. We've done it once and came out with minimal casualties, it makes sense they'll call on us again.' Decal tried, standing firm in front of the mountain of fur and muscle, hands raised in a calming manner.  
'14, to me!' Blade called, emerging from his hootch and moving to a clear patch of ground.  
'Tokiu Blade.' Emily responded, glancing at Myron apologetically before running over to join the ranks of mice taking a knee around their Commander.

Waiting for the team to settle, Blade took his helmet off and tucked it under his arm, looking around his assembled men and smiling proudly.  
'I'm not going to tell you all kinds of bullshit that isn't worth the air involved, you know the dangers ahead as well as I do. I will not force you to take this hill again, we are not ruled by the American military. I will stand by your decision and defend your actions to those higher above me until I am blue in the face and will still go on arguing. I however will be taking that hill again, standing tall and proud among those we call friend! I am not one to throw my bros to the howling beasts of our nightmares or the ghosts that haunt that hill! I know you are concerned and even scared to go back up there but we have faced challenged a thousand times worse than Charlie can ever dream of throwing our way! We stood in Brimstone City and held it as the Plutarkians charged five times! We held the vital point between Base 13 and Base 36 so the wounded would not be slaughtered! We kept Mount Dreslyn from the rats and the Plutarkians! Hill 1000 is nothing compared to those great moments in our history!' he cried, unmoving and solid as his words rang through the base.

Gathering slowly, Goldman and his platoon watched and listened in silence, inspired by Blade's words even though they had no idea what exactly he was talking about.  
'Who stands with me as we write the next chapter in our history?' Blade asked, dropping his helmet on and holding up his rifle.  
'I stand at your side Blade, ready and willing to fight!' Emily replied, getting to her feet and raising her rifle high.  
'I stand at your side Blade, ready and willing to fight!' Slash repeated, also standing and lifting his weapon. Glancing over his shoulder, Carbon spotted the humans and nodded, waving them over to join them.  
'I stand at your side Blade, ready and willing to fight!' Myron called, walking over to join the group, rifle held up proudly.

Slowly the rest of the mice stood, sealing the promise and raising their weapons skyward. Among them stood many of Goldman's platoon, drawn into the team and standing firm on the promise to protect each other throughout the hell undoubtedly coming their way.  
'Then so it shall be! Clean your weapons and prepare your gear! Tomorrow, we take Hill 1000!' Blade roared, nodding slowly as the troops turned and hustled off, spirits lifted by Blade's speech.  
'What was he going on about? I didn't follow half of what was said.' Myron asked, catching up with Sidewinder quickly.  
'Well, Brimstone City was the capital city of Mars but the rats and Plutarkians both tried to take it from us. 14 stood alone in the city one day and we were attacked five times with barely enough time to reload before the next attack. We held on though, battered but alive. Base 13 stood on the edge of the Hellfire Plains, the last safe place before the driest place on Mars. Base 36 was well back from there and used as a recovery location for exhausted soldiers. We were tasked with holding Devil's Pass so the evacuation of 13 could be completed. We took heavy casualties that day but held the line until the last mouse was through the pass.' Sidewinder explained, pride lighting his eyes as he remembered both battles.  
'So what about Mount Dreslin or whatever it was?' Myron nodded, amazed by what he was hearing and gaining another level of respect for them all.  
'Mount Dreslyn, the most sacred peak on Mars. It's a sign of hope and faith for all mice. No one is permitted to scale the mountain, we are not worthy to walk in the footsteps of the Gods. The rats and Plutarkians tried to take this sacred place from us and flatten it but we were defiant and held the site for months, taking down anything that came close to harming the shining peak high above our heads. Holding that precious peak gave strength to all who were on the battlefields of Mars.' Tank grinned, coming up on Myron's other side.  
'Now it all makes sense. I'm not even going to try and add to Blade's words.' Myron replied, eyes blowing wide at the implications of their actions.  
'Don't think you need bother LT, everyone was stirred by his speech. Look around, man and mouse stand side by side, ready to do the impossible.' Sidewinder grinned, indicating the team scattered around them.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Coming up the track, Braid spotted the approaching soldiers coming down and moved to the side, signalling for everyone behind him to move aside to make room. Crouching down, Killer eased his arm under the arm of a fallen Private and helped him back to his feet, reeling from the horror he could see written in the eyes of the men coming down.  
'Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks man.' he uttered, moving off down the track with his buddies.  
'It just ain't right.' Killer sighed, shaking his head sadly as he continued up to the summit for another round with Charlie.  
'Feels like we've been through this movie before.' Ru commented, an uneasy feeling landing on his shoulders.  
'Yeah and it's getting old in a hurry.' Danny agreed, glancing at Thunder quickly.

All eyes on the jungle, the massed force pushed onwards, nerves starting to flare again as they reached the danger level and knew Charley could be anywhere around them. From out of nowhere, a lone grenade arced out and exploded, killing two and wounding another three. Hitting the ground hard, the extensive group opened fire on the VC hiding in the thick grass, nerves vanishing in a rush of adrenaline.  
'Taylor!' Hammer called, firing hard into the enemy position.  
'Yo!'  
'You see where I'm firing?'  
'Yo!'  
'Blooper!'

The M79 arced in perfectly, landing right behind the enemy position, sending three VC flying in their deaths and bringing down a small tree. One staggered to his feet in an attempt to get away but was taken out with a perfect headshot from Crimson.  
'Way to keep 'em honest sharpshooter.' Killer grinned, looking at his bro quickly. Rising from his position, Zeke hustled over to the enemy soldiers, motioning for two of the guys to move up and cover him as they checked for signs of life.  
'We got 'em.' he called, looking back to the main group quickly.

Tossing his helmet down in frustration, Myron eased to his feet and tried to calm his raging mind but the pointless loss of another life had him enraged.  
'Horn, get the XO on the line, tell him we got two men down. I want Dudley and Chambers in those ferns over there, we'll get them on the way back. We're moving up twenty meters then we're gonna hold our positions through an air strike.' Myron ordered, glancing at Christine for comfort and getting a tender smile.  
'Sergeant!' Slash snapped, also feeling the pressure again.  
'Yo!' Zeke, Emily and Bonfire replied, alert and ready for instructions.  
'Well at least ya know they're listenin'.' Blade uttered, grinning at his brother.  
'I don't want one single dink slipping around our flanks. I want 'em all.' Slash ordered, returning the reassuring grin even though he didn't feel it.  
'Oh yeah.' Emily growled, sending the dogs out for a wider patrol but keeping them in tight in case Charlie decided to have a go at them again.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Taking up their new positions, the guys hunkered down and covered their heads as the jets roared overhead and dropped their payloads. Lifting his head slowly, Slash looked at Myron and grinned, the old spark coming back slowly.  
'That one shook loose a filling.' Myron remarked, also lifting his head.  
'Shook loose my brains.' Slash batted back, inching forward a little more.  
'Hey.' Myron called, reaching up and tapping Johnson on the arm.  
'Johnson, you okay?' Black asked, crawling up beside Slash.  
'I can't take much more of this.' Johnson replied, shaking his head slowly.  
'Relax Johnson, at least we aren't up there with Mihn.' Slash offered, glancing back down at the rest of the men on the hill.

Out on the left flank, Emily and Taylor hugged the ground as another rain of debris fell down on them. Lifting her head, Emily blew the crap off her weapon and looked up the slope, swallowing nervously.  
'Ain't nothin' shakin' but the peas in the pod.' she uttered, reaching back and patting the boys as they huddled in against her.  
'Yeah and they wouldn't be shakin' if momma hadn't put the wood in the stove.' Taylor replied, petting Rem's foot lightly.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Passing another group coming down, Blade came close to losing his lunch as one of the guys carrying a stretcher slipped and revealed the horror under the poncho.  
'Oh god, what happened to him?' Horn asked, freezing and staring at the corpse.  
'The boy lost his head, that's what.' one of the men replied, rolling the body back onto the stretcher.  
'That's not funny soldier.' Slash warned, also looking at the grizzly scene.  
'Well excuse me Sir. One of those 750 pounders that zoomie was droppin' blew up in a tree. A piece sliced his head right off. Six other guys took shrapnel too.' he replied, covering the body and picking up the stretcher. 'Charlie oughta leave us alone to beat each other to death.' he added as they continued on their trek down.

Turning and walking away from the Lieutenants, Horn dropped his rifle and helmet to the ground before releasing the radio and setting it down too, unable to force his feet any further up the hill.  
'Horn! What are you doing Horn?' Myron asked, turning to watch the young RTO.  
'I'm not going Lieutenant. I'm sorry, I'm just not doing it.' Horn replied, not looking at the gathering team as they watched in disbelief and shock.  
'I haven't got time for this Horn, come on.' Myron tried, not sure what to make of the situation.  
'Well then you'd better move on out. 'cause I'm not going, no matter what you say.' Horn sighed, turning and walking away from his gear.  
'What's going on?' Zeke asked, looking around the gathering slowly.  
'It's so stupid Sarge. We've taken this hill twice and we've abandoned it twice. And for what?' Horn asked, running on empty as he stood there.  
'Those are the orders Horn.' Bonfire replied, not liking where things were going.  
'For nothing! You know that. I'm not gonna sacrifice my life for nothing.' Horn snapped, going to shoulder past Anderson so he could get off the hill.  
'Alright now Horn, don't blow it here. Now listen to me, if you're tired and you need a break, I can clear it with the LT.' Zeke tried to reason but no one believed he could turn Horn around.  
'I don't need a break. I'm finished, period.' Horn replied, stubborn as ever in the face of the ultimate chicken out. 'I'm sorry guys, I just can't do this anymore.' he added, looking squarely at Danny. Returning the gaze, Danny nodded once, understanding the fear so clearly written in Horn's eyes.  
'Horn, listen to me now. Do you know what this means?' Emily asked, deeply concerned for the young man.  
'I'll take the consequences.' Horn replied, gaze shifting to her face.  
'Get these men moving now Sergeant, come on.' Slash snapped, not willing to waste any more time as Myron headed down the slope.  
'Alright, c'mon. Get up the hill. C'mon, get up the hill.' Zeke nodded, starting to get the rest of the guys moving on upwards.  
'Horn, where the hell do you get off walking out on these guys? They've always been there for you, always. Now come on. You don't want to do this.' Myron tried one last time, picking up the radio and holding it out to Horn. 'You don't want to ruin your life Horn and believe me, this is going to ruin your life.'  
'I'll take the chance.' Horn replied, not moving to take the radio.  
'Get on down the hill. We'll deal with this back at Chu Lai.' Myron ordered, shouldering the radio and turning away.  
'Here, I'll take it LT.' Carbon offered, taking the abandoned radio and securing it into place.

Picking up his helmet and rifle, Horn turned to start the trek down before two soldiers came running up again.  
'What's this I hear about some yellow belly refusing to fight? This the coward? You don't wanna fight anymore boy?' one asked, getting right into Horn's face.  
'Yeah, that's right.' Horn replied, unafraid of the threat in his eyes.  
'Somebody oughta shoot you down right here.' the Sergeant threatened, bringing his rifle up. Emily came out of nowhere and tackled the burly Sergeant clear, shoving him up against the tree and pinning him there with ease.  
'That's my man, this is family here. Now you get outta my house before I pop you one!' she snapped, still defending her friends even though Horn didn't feel he deserved it.  
'It's okay Em, let him. At least I'll know who did it, and what it's for.' Horn sighed, pushing past them and heading down the hill.  
'Chaos, go with him. He's still part of this team and shouldn't be alone.' Emily called, turning to the light tan mouse standing nearby.  
'You got it Em.' Chaos nodded, chasing after Horn and falling into step beside him.  
'But if I die on this hill, I won't know who did it and I sure as hell won't know the reason why.' Horn offered, turning back to look at Emily one last time before heading down with Chaos, shoulders slumped in defeat.  
Let's get up the hill, come on move it. That's you too Sergeant!' Emily called, glaring at the man who had dared threaten her friend. Sighing softly, she glanced back at the retreating pair and shook her head, not sure what could be done for the reluctant soldier.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Coming under heavy fire, Blade was really starting to get ticked off with this mess but wisely kept his thought under control, not wanting to spook his men.  
'Keep pushing guys, we can do this!' he called, moving up another few meters and taking cover behind another copse of trees.  
'Ahh!' Christine screamed, dropping back down and rolling a few meters backwards until Zeke caught her. Blood trickled through her snowy fur from a bullet wound in her shoulder.  
'Get on down the hill Chris.' Zeke instructed as he dressed the wound as best she can.  
'I'll be alright Zeke, dealt with worse before.' Christine replied, ready for some payback.  
'Cover the wounded!' Slash called, pushing up past Zeke and Christine.  
'Get down off the this hill Chris, get back to the rest of the wounded.' Zeke nodded, tying the field dressing off and pushing her gently down the hill. Nodding slowly, she ducked and headed down, catching up with Shift and Choke as they headed down as well.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Down where the wounded were gathering, Chaos sat and listened to Horn as he recited something out of the small book he was holding.  
'I hate that drums discordant sound. Parading round and round and round. To thoughtless youth as pleasure yields. Those from cities and from fields. To sell their liberty for charms. Tawdry lace and glittering arms. And when ambitions voice commands. March and fight and fall in foreign lands.'

Looking up, he spotted Christine, Choke and Shift as they came off the hill, bloodied and battered.  
'Are you guys alright?' Horn asked, getting to his feet and walking over to them.  
'We'll be okay bro, we've come through worse shit than this.' Shift replied, easing Choke down onto the ground before taking a seat beside him.  
'What's it like up there?' Chaos asked, nerves rattled but holding strong.  
'It's bad. Think Charlie's gonna try and hold onto it this time.' Christine replied, groaning softly as her wound throbbed. Chaos and Horn both grabbed their canteens, unscrewing the caps and offering them over.  
'How are the guys?' Horn asked, friendship still strong even though he still didn't want to go back.  
'Our guys are fine, few others down.' Choke sighed, taking Horn's canteen and drinking deep.  
'That's too bad.' Horn uttered, dropping his gaze quickly. 'damn.' he growled, caught between a rock and a hard place in his mind.

Lunging across, Horn grabbed his rifle and helmet and stood, heading back towards the trail.  
'Roger, what are you doing?' Christine asked, hoping that he wasn't about to do something stupid.  
'Look guys, I don't believe in this war, I never did, I never will. But I do believe in helping my friends. I guess that's worth fighting for.' Horn replied, putting his helmet on and jogging away.  
'I'll keep him safe Chris, you know I can.' Chaos grinned, grabbing his gear and taking off after Horn quickly.  
'I just hope he gets outta this one alive.' Shift sighed, changing the dressing on Choke's leg and sitting back to wait.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Charging up the slope, Chaos and Horn stuck tight together, the perfect pair as they hustled past wounded and dead soldiers from both sides of combat.  
'Baker! What's going on up there?' Zeke called, stuck behind a different tree and not noticing the pair that had made it back to join the combat.  
'Bunker Sarge!' Baker replied, not daring to lift his head.  
'Old man ain't gonna work from here. I'm gonna try something else.' Zeke added, firing a round from the blooper and moving off.  
'We gotta get rid of that bunker before we lose anymore here.' Chaos growled, back pressed against Horn's firmly.  
'This way.' Horn uttered, moving off in the opposite direction to Zeke.

Getting up fairly close to the bunker, Chaos nodded and pulled a smoke grenade, lobbing it gently towards the enemy position. Waiting a moment for the smoke to thicken, Horn grabbed his satchel charge and eased closer, plan firmly in his mind. The enemy gun wasn't quiet for long and Horn went down, crying out in pain.  
'Together Horn, we can make this happen.' Chaos coaxed, landing beside the downed man and keeping him going.  
'For our bros and sisters.' Horn nodded, crawling forward with Chaos.

Pulling the pin, Horn shoved the satchel charge over the edge and into the bunker before turning and hustling away, Chaos supporting him gently.  
'Horn! Chaos! Get outta there!' Johnson, Baker and Ruiz called, unable to believe what they were seeing. Horn dropped short but Chaos was right there, rolling and dragging Horn down into the foxhole beside the two dead VC just seconds before the charge blew.

Grinning softly, Chaos sat back beside Horn, not interested in the fireworks from the bunker as he knelt beside his wounded bro.  
'Where the hell did you come from?' Johnson asked, coming up beside them.  
'Good question.' Horn groaned, a soft smile on his face. 'Hey guys, I need some help.'  
'Medic! Medic!' Baker called, looking around frantically for Revs or Shard.  
'Just hang in there Horn, you're gonna make it.' Chaos promised, taking Horn's hand and holding firm.

Emily was first to arrive, tearing Horn's shirt open and getting to work on basic triage before Revs landed beside her, totally calm as he dealt with Horn's injuries.  
'Alright, Ruiz, Baker, go check the bunker there. Go on.' Zeke instructed, amazed by what he had just been witness to. 'How's he doing?'  
'He'll live, but we gotta get him outta here.' Revs replied, looking up to the older veteran.  
'Yeah, but how bad it is?' Zeke sighed, not willing to lose another friend.  
'His war's over, that's for sure.' Emily replied, helping to ease Horn out of the foxhole before kneeling behind him and supporting his upper body tenderly.  
'Horn, how come you came back up here?' Zeke asked softly, crouching down as he looked at the bloodied man.  
'I knew you needed my help.' Horn replied, taking comfort from his friends all around him.  
'We took the hill Horn, we took it back thanks to you man.' Johnson added, proud to have known the brave man.  
'Let's see if you can hold onto it this time.' Horn groaned, still looking at his bros and friends.  
'Yeah, third times the charm.' Zeke agreed, watching as Emily and Revs lifted Horn and carried him gently down the slope.

Behind Zeke, Myron was on the radio, Carbon silent at his side as he watched Horn being carried away to safety and eventually home.  
'We're digging in up here, over.' Myron reported, also touched by Horn's bravery.  
'Evacuate the area. Colonel Dalby's on his way for an inspection.'  
'I don't believe this.' Myron groaned, shaking his head slowly.  
'Alright, lets get dug in here!' Zeke called, finally tearing his gaze away from Horn.  
'Forget it.' Myron instructed, looking at the handset.  
'Sir?' Zeke tried, not understanding what was going on.  
'I said forget it. We're not digging in, we're going back down the hill.' Myron sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'What?' Bonfire asked, stunned by the new orders.  
'Oh man.' Baker snapped, kicking at an empty ammo container.  
'Wait, this has gotta be somebody's idea of a joke, right.' Zeke tried, disgusted by the idea of leaving the hill after all this effort.  
'I wish it was. Saddle the men up, the Colonel's coming up the hill.' Myron snarled, handing Carbon the handset and walking away.  
'Wait. Did he give you any idea why?' Braid asked, really against the idea of leaving.  
'You know better.' Myron offered as he stalked off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Passing by the Colonel, Falcon was hard pressed to keep his mouth shut but he knew his buddies were counting on him so he pushed on, mighty arms supporting Sidewinder and Braidy as the staggered down the slope.  
'Colonel?' Danny called, moving out of the line to speak with the older man.  
'Yeah, what is it soldier?' he replied, turning to the small group gathering behind Danny.  
'Why do they keep having us take this hill and then giving it right back to the enemy?' Danny asked, fed up with stupid orders and dumb missions.  
'Soldier, I don't think that you're pri…' the troublesome Lieutenant from before started, moving forward a little.  
'Colonel, please. Answer our question.' Daytona cut him off, laying a hand on Danny's shoulder in support.  
'Objectives change. When you don't have the whole picture, its hard to understand.' Dalby replied, leaving the troops unsatisfied and angry.  
'Sir, you pinned medals on my chest yesterday. I think I'm willing to give my life for my country but I've gotta know that it matters.' Danny snapped, well passed pissed off with the war.  
'Of course it matters.' Dalby replied, still missing the point.  
'A lot of men lost their lives on this hill Sir. One of my best buddies got all shot up. And we go and give it right back to the enemy. It's as if it were all for nothing!' Dakota added, standing firm with his family and friends to let command know what they really thought.  
'I think you're outta line here soldier.' Dalby warned, not liking where things were going.  
'Just remember Sir that our lives mean something too! ' Danny snapped, anger and frustration coursing through him.  
'Come on Danny, you've said what had to be said.' Tar grinned, wrapping one arm around Danny's shoulders as the headed down.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Slumped on her bunk, Emily looked at the four plastic bags in her kit and sighed, remembering the three men who were already gone and wondering how many more they were going to lose.  
'Em, the guys have something to talk to you about.' Bonfire called, walking over and taking her hands lightly.  
'Okay, I'll be right out.' Emily nodded, wiping her eyes and securing her kit again, the four bags hidden away and safe for another round with Charlie.

Managing a weak smile, Emily emerged from her barracks and looked around the group. Fifteen of them stood together, surrounded by the remaining forty but no one looked happy.  
'What's going on guys?' Emily asked, closing the distance between them all.  
'It's time for some of us to go home Em. We've been talking and we have seen home and have been called to return.' Hammer replied, looking sadly at Kawasaki.  
'But what about the rest of us? When do we get to go home?' Slash asked, heart cracking at the thought of having to say goodbye to his older brother.  
'Your time will come soon. There will come a time where half of those left will make the journey and when the time is right again, we will all be reunited.' Braidy offered, unable to take his gaze away from Emission.  
'If that's how it must be, there's nothing we can do. Go and say your goodbyes to all you will be leaving behind and I'll see what I can do about getting some privacy for the journey.' Emily nodded, choking back tears as Sidewinder walked over and pulled her into a powerful hug.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Those being left behind gathered together and watched as the smaller group made their way out onto the flat clearing out side the base and lay down to sleep.  
'Goodbye my friends, keep the home fires burning for us.' Emily whispered, tears falling freely as she stood at the wire.  
'Safe travels guys, we will never forget you.' Myron added, wrapping one arm around Emily's shoulders gently.  
'Chokei!' Blade called, standing tall in the deepening shadows for a moment before lying down.  
'Chokei le montras!' Slash replied before turning and walking away.  
'They will not leave so long as we are here. Go to bed guys, by morning they will be home safe.' Emily sighed, her dogs padding along silently as Emily turned and walked away from the rest of the team.


	11. The Third Shock

Heads snapping up, Bandit and Torque listened to the sounds of the base and shot to their feet, hustling away to check on things.  
'Codes are coming back online! Blade! Christine! Hammer! Sidewinder!' Torque called, looking at the security station as the once greyed out command codes blinked back to live.  
'Two doors! Baker! Horn!' Randy added, running into the rec room and starting to scan through the cameras.  
'Ten command codes are back online! I'm picking up fifteen familiar signals…oh my god. Bandit, Braidy's home!' Torque continued, eyes blowing wide in amazement and wonder.

Listening to the reports on his new belt radio, Rusty bolted from the gym and turned sharply, running hard before he tripped over something on the floor. Landing heavily, he rolled and sat up, blinking in disbelief at the still face of Blade.  
'I've got Blade right here outside the gym.' he called, turning and scrabbling over to kneel beside the mighty Captain, his fatigues still streaked with blood and mud.  
'Keep your voice down! You trying to get us kill…Rusty?' Blade uttered, opening his eyes and blinking stupidly.  
'Yeah Blade, I'm here. Welcome home soldier, it's good to see you again.' Rusty nodded, yelping as Blade sat up and yanked him into a joyous hug.  
'What about the other guys who came back with me? Have you seen them yet?' Blade asked, releasing Rusty and getting to his feet.  
'I was just heading for the rec room to check the cameras. All I know is we've got fifteen familiar signals and two of my guys.' Rusty shrugged, resuming his run for the rec room.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Still reeling from the shock of their return and finding four of their old friends among them, the group gathered in the rec room and settled, pushing and laughing as though nothing had changed. But everyone could feel the changes and although they tried to keep the mood high, it just couldn't be done.  
'I can't believe I had to leave him behind.' Falcon uttered, hanging his head as he fought back tears of helplessness and fear.  
'We all had to leave people we cared about.' Christine tried, reaching over to squeeze Falcon's hand gently.  
'Not you, you got to keep Braid close. I had to leave Decal behind.' Falcon snapped, shaking Christine's hand off and rising.  
'In case you didn't notice, Myron turned to me when he needed support. When that blonde bitch dropped him like a skritsha, I was the one who stepped up and put him back together. You just played dumb grunt all this time, I at least played supportive friend and playmate when things got too much for the guys.' Christine shot back, tempers flaring without thought.  
'y'know, it doesn't take a genius to work out why you're the first guys to get sent home.' Baker cut in, looking around the gathering quickly.  
'Well go on then Scott, why were we sent home?' Dakota asked, still recovering from the shock of coming back as perfect as he'd been in Nam.  
'Well, most of you are white, which stands out real bad among the greens and browns of the jungle. Then there's the fact some of you are unusually tall, a bad idea in the middle of thick undergrowth and tight tracks.' Baker shrugged, putting his feet up and grabbing another beer from the table.  
'Ah, enough talk of such things, I gotta go check something.' Falcon grinned, getting to his feet and heading for the door.  
'The bikes are fine; I went up and checked them earlier. It seems that they did the same thing as the security codes and went dark when you disappeared. Armageddon is fine; he came back online when your command codes came back up too.' Torque offered, leaning against Bandit's side contentedly as the group relaxed and reformed their connections in a new way.  
'I remember you telling me about Gear Grinder. Is that your bike?' Randy grinned, looking up at Shift quickly.  
'Yeah, that's my Sylver Seraph 8000. Do you want to meet him?' Shift nodded, getting to his feet and turning for the door.  
'I'd like that.' Randy replied, hopping up and following Shift from the room.  
'Go grab your helmet and meet me in the garage. The poor boy could probably use a good run.' Shift chuckled, whistling softly as he walked off.  
'Two floors up, first corridor on the left?' Randy asked, just wanting to make sure he had the right place in the base.  
'Yep, you've got the right spot.' Torque nodded, shuffling around and putting his head in Bandit's lap again.  
'Be there in three.' Randy called, running off towards the bunkroom corridors.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Throwing his leg over the red and white machine, Shift turned and grinned, spotting Randy as he just stared at the stunning bike.  
'You coming or are you just gonna stand and stare?' Shift called, sliding forward on the saddle.  
'Are you serious?' Randy asked, approaching and reaching out to run his hand over the rear pannier.  
'Yeah, just make sure you do your helmet up nice and tight. This little man can really fly.' Shift nodded, grabbing his bike helmet and slipping it on as Randy snugged his old helmet down nice and secure.  
'Just so you know, this is a new experience for me.' Randy offered, climbing on behind Shift and wrapping his arms around his waist. Reaching around behind him, Shift popped one of the side panniers and grabbed out a pair of protective glasses.  
'Here, put these on so you can see what's going on. It'll be okay, I won't let you fall. All you have to do is hang on tight and lean into the corners.' Shift nodded, wrapping his tail around Randy's waist as he quickly put the glasses on and made sure they were secure. Nodding slowly, Shift made sure Randy was ready to ride before he gunned the engine and tore out of the base.

Hunched low to keep the wind from really getting at him, Randy peered out from behind Shift's shoulder as they shot from the warehouse and onto the street, engine roaring loud and proud as they swept along with the traffic. Weaving among the cars, Shift howled with joy, wind ruffling his fur as they left the highway and took to the side roads.  
'Now this is what I'm talking about! Hang on Randy, here we go!' he called, leaning forward a little more and racing past a warning sign.

Spotting the bridge ahead, Randy swore softly and pressed in against Shift tightly, eyes squeezing shut. Kicking the bike up another gear, Shift locked his eyes on the jump and grinned, firming up his grip on Randy. Hitting the end of the bridge, the bike shot into the air, wheels spinning freely as they soared across the gap before slamming down on the other side and tearing away.

Pulling up and turning around, Shift couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he turned back to look at the jump they'd made.  
'Don't do that again.' Randy warned, still shaking as he looked back at the bridge.  
'Couldn't resist man but I won't do it again. I'm not really into the big jumps like that; I leave them more to Tank or Falcon.' Shift replied, visor snapping closed again before they headed back onto the streets.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Knocking softly, Sidewinder pushed the door open and sighed before walking over to sit beside Rusty. Looking up slowly, Rusty managed a weak smile before dropping his focus back to the photo the held gently.  
'She still loves you Rusty, she always will. Be strong Rusty, Emily will return to you.' Sidewinder offered, draping an arm around Rusty's shoulders.  
'I hope so Sidewinder, I really do. I don't know how much longer I can hold on without her gentle smile and happy laughter.' Rusty nodded, scrubbing at his eyes quickly.  
'Here, she wanted you to have this. She made me promise to track you down when I got home and give this to you.' Sidewinder grinned, pulling a velvet pouch from his pocket and tipping the gold chain into his hand.  
'What is it?' Rusty asked, looking at the highly detailed tri-tone gold amulet.  
'A lover's promise. Braid and Christine have a set and Emily was interested in the idea. She had a pair made up and kept them in her safe until she found the right man for her. Now that she has found you, she wants to make the promise known. Wear this with pride Rusty, it shows that you have someone who will love you until the end of time.' Sidewinder explained, securing the amulet around Rusty's neck and nodding slowly.  
'I just hope she's still the same woman when she makes it home.' Rusty sighed, admiring the intricate work a moment longer before letting the amulet drop back to hang comfortably around his throat.  
'Emily's tough, she'll make it home with her heart, soul and spirit mostly intact. No one can come out of a war like that without some changes.' Sidewinder grinned, hauling Rusty to his feet and escorting him out of the room. 'Now come on, we've got more memories to watch.'


	12. Saigon

Looking out over their new home, Emily found a place to sit on a sandbag wall and smiled, one hand resting possessively on the care package she'd been quite surprised to get.   
'Who sent ya the package?' Zeke asked, plopping down beside her.  
'Rusty. Wrote him to let him know how the guys are holding up and told him we'd been shifted here.' Emily shrugged, opening the letter stuck on the front and unfolding it quickly. Rusty's neat script flowed across the page, bringing a tear to her eye as she read his priceless words.  
'So what's Captain Wallace got to say?' Zeke asked, seeing Emily's jaw drop in disbelief.  
'You're not going to believe this Zeke, listen to this. As I sit here writing this, I'm watching Braidy and Bandit playing pool, listening to Christine cooking up a storm and having a laugh with Blade. I don't know how it happened but we're all here; Randy, Roger and Scott too. We're doing just fine, apart from the odd argument and fight. Torque and Bandit got you something for your birthday, I thought it was you from the moment I saw it. Please find included your old faithful friend and birthday present.' Emily replied, hands starting to shake at the implications of this new development.  
'Whoa, that is crazy.' Zeke uttered, also reeling from the thought of his old friends in the future with the mice that had gone home.

Folding the letter up and putting it in her pocket, Emily turned her attention to the parcel and tore the paper away. Opening the box, her jaw dropped again as she lifted out the top item.  
'Now that's one heck of a knife.' Zeke remarked, also eyeing the large blade.  
'This is my old Armageddon. Saved my life quite a few times.' Emily shrugged, removing her assigned combat knife from her webbing and handing it to Zeke before tying her Armageddon to her belt securely.  
'I didn't even know your birthday was coming.' Zeke grinned, thinking fast for a present.  
'It's already been Zeke, turned twenty eight a few months back.' Emily shrugged, lifting up the second item, the bright wrapping bringing a smile to her face.  
'What have you got there Em?' Myron asked, wandering over and settling on her other side.  
'Birthday pressie from Bandit and Torque, those two mice who got left behind.' Emily replied, pulling out her letter and refolding it so Myron could read Rusty's explanation without seeing anything more private.

Ripping through the gift wrap, Emily almost fell off the sandbags as she looked at the newly revealed knife. Sixteen inches in length and solid in the hand, blade painted up in jungle camo and the handle carved to fit her hand perfectly, this was a beast of a knife, just perfect for her new way of life in the boonies.  
'Steel Eagle 111A with a Hunter's Point. I'm telling ya, those boys know me to well.' she grinned, testing the edge and finding it to be razor sharp, as were the large serrations on the top of the blade. Hefting it again, Emily felt a new love affair blossom with this new blade and proudly tied it to her webbing, the sheath already battered and scuffed to take away from the new look of it.  
'So which one will you use?' Zeke asked, admiring the way the second knife sat on Emily's webbing without looking out of place.  
'I know what the Armageddon can do and how I can use it. It's gonna take me some time to get to know the Steel Eagle and learn what it can and can't do. I'll probably use both in varying situations but I reckon I'm gonna enjoy working with the Eagle.' Emily shrugged, adjusting the way the Armageddon was hanging on her belt.  
'This is some seriously heavy stuff Em.' Myron sighed, handing the letter back as Emily dug in the package again and lifted out a velvet pouch.  
'More goodies?' Zeke asked, also looking at the pouch.  
'This is called a Lover's Promise amulet. I told Sidewinder to get them out of my safe and give one to Rusty. I didn't expect them to send me the other one.' Emily explained, tipping the amulet into her hand and looking at it for a moment before securing it around her neck and tucking the shinning gold behind her shirt.  
'Well come on Zeke, we'd better get organised for that mission into Saigon to get our missing man back.' Myron nodded, getting up and walking away.  
'Right behind ya LT.' Zeke nodded, grinning at Emily before following Myron across base.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Everyone was a little edgy the next day as they walked over to the choppers for what was to be their last mission together. The orders had come down from the top, giving Slash and his unit their own place in the army and ordering that they be used to the best of their abilities.  
'Wish I had my best knife.' Crimson sighed, adapted sniper rifle slung over one shoulder as he cradled his normal rifle to his chest.  
'So write the guys and ask for it. It's not my job to handle stuff like that.' Emily shrugged, totally in love with her new knife and what advantages it gave her.  
'So who's this new hot shot pilot we've been hearing about?' Decal asked, adjusting his expanded kit and getting organised.  
'First Lieutenant John McKay. Golden boy with your basic hot dog reputation. Got everything but the white scarf. He is good though, and he knows his business.' Slash offered, looking the group over as they headed for they walked.  
'Oh wonderful, another problem to deal with.' Strap sighed, M-60 on his shoulders now that Choke was gone.

Dogs at foot, Emily appraised this new pilot as she stood with Myron, Slash, Zeke and Kawasaki, waiting to speak with McKay.  
'McKay gentlemen.' he offered, glancing at Slash and Kawasaki as he shook Myron's hand.  
'Goldman, this is Sergeant Anderson.' Myron replied, looking to Emily for her evaluation.  
'Staff Sergeant Emily Hunter. This is Romus and Remus, my war dogs.' she nodded, one arm on Zeke's shoulder.  
'Slash, Sergeant Kawasaki.' Slash added, also shaking Johnny's hand.  
'So you're the unit everyone's been talking about. Heard a lot of things about you but I'll reserve judgement until I've seen what you can really do.' Johnny replied, eyes drifting back to Emily as she stood there with her dogs.  
'We've got an insertion about ten klicks up the road at An Loc.' Myron grinned, relaxing now that Emily had accepted Johnny as a non-threat.  
'Well I'm your chauffeur and I hear you guys are number one. Just short of being genuine heroes.' Johnny replied, his cocky nature coming out a little more.  
'Goes to show you can't believe everything you hear Lieutenant.' Kawasaki replied, not quite sure what to make of McKay.  
'What's with the speakers?' Slash asked, indicating the bird to their right.  
'Appropriated them from a slick used in the Chu Hoi program. I like to use 'em to psyche Charlie out. Rock and roll is here to stay.' Johnny replied, moving past the group and opening his door.  
'That's profound McKay, I'll have that laminated and put in my wallet.' Emily smirked, picking Rom up and handing him to Myron before hoisting Rem into the chopper and settling, Myron setting Rom safely onboard before climbing up and getting comfortable.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Approaching the LZ, the sounds of enemy fire reached the guys huddled in the choppers and everyone perked up, ready for action.  
'We're going in hot!' Myron called, pulling his helmet out from under his ass and putting it on.  
'Lock and load!' Zeke added, making sure Rom was safely tucked behind him.  
'Lay down some fire boys!' Johnny ordered, trusting in his gunners to keep them all safe.

Shifting into a ready stance, the guys readied and waited a moment longer for the choppers to enter a stable hover just above the LZ before the shot out, spreading around and moving for cover as one, rifles up and hammering into the scrub.  
'Shelter boys!' Emily called, diving off the chopper and casting the dogs out in a wide arc around the birds for cover.

Everyday was the same old shit as they ran into the grass and opened fire on Charlie and the newbie went down in moments as Slash called for the artillery.  
'This is getting old real fast.' Emily snarled, casting he dogs out again and running up to land by one of the fallen newbies.  
'I hear ya there Em.' Revs nodded, keeping a tally of the dead and wounded on a piece of paper tied to the inside of one sleeve.  
'Less talk, more kill.' Slash barked, moving up as Myron took over the artillery call.  
'You got it LT.' Emily replied, popping up and laying down a huge field of covering fire.

Poking his head up, Crimson switched rifles and lined up carefully before blowing two VC away with perfectly aimed shots. Lining up another, he heard the sound of returning choppers and looked up, swore and turned his focus back to the scope.

Hearing the chopper approach, a few more of the guys looked up and listened, waiting to see what this crazy bird was going to do.  
'It's McKay!' Slash called, lifting his head as the rock music blared out of the bird. Rolling onto her back, Emily saluted the bird as it shot overhead, Johnny McKay pointing a blooper out the window and firing as his co-pilot kept the bird moving.  
'Yeah! Yeah! C'mon! c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!' Zeke called, getting to his feet as the gunners tossed out grenades and large satchel charges to really blow Charlie to shit.  
'Get them! Get it! Get it!' Revs called, punching the air as another great explosion rocked the area.  
'You idiot.' Myron uttered, a big grin on his face as he stood and watched Johnny fly overhead.  
'Maybe this guy ain't so bad after all.' Metric allowed, grabbing one of the dead newbies over his shoulders as they ran for the LZ.

Scooping Rem up on the run, Zeke leapt onto the chopper with Emily, moving aside to let the last couple of guys on before Johnny lifted off and buzzed back to base.  
'You'll keep McKay, you'll keep.' Emily nodded, glancing at Slash and Myron.  
'Time will tell Em. He might be full of it.' Slash shrugged but he was already starting to like Johnny McKay and his slightly rebellious ways.  
'Nah, he gets it. Not many pilots will put their birds on the line like that for grunts like us.' Emily corrected, holding her boys by the collar and relaxing a little more.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Touching down back at Tan Son Nhut, Emily stretched and scratched before fitting her boys back into their base uniforms and casting them out onto light recon around the base. Heads held high with pride, they bounded off to relieve themselves and grab a quick bite to eat and a drink before settling somewhere in the shade to rest. Emily's name and service number was emblazoned across their backs so anyone with a problem knew who to talk to about the pair but so far, everyone was happy to have them around. Emily had taken the time to teach the dogs and everyone else a few things and now her dogs were everyone's pets, well like by most and could often be found playing happily with the troops.

With her duties as a dog handler attended to, Emily turned and walked back to stand beside Slash and Myron, watching the dead and wounded being unloaded.  
'Who the hell called the shots on this one Goldman?' McKay asked, striding over to join the small group standing around.  
'I don't know. It was supposed to be an easy operation.' Myron replied, tired of getting the rubbish jobs and losing so many people.  
'Look, you guys saved our bacon out there. I'll tell you what, you promise to crank down that music and next time I owe ya a beer.' Slash added, wanting their last mission together to go down on a high note.  
'You make that a case for my crew. You got your butts better today because I was boogying in the kitchen and boogying in the hall.' Johnny replied, his lingo tripping Slash up badly.  
'He did what?' he asked, turning to Emily.  
'Beats the hell outta me LT, I don't speak chopper jock.' Emily shrugged, unable to resist getting in a shot at McKay.  
'Well don't let modesty stand in your way McKay.' Myron added, grinning at Emily's comment.  
'Fact is, there's not another jockey in country who can massage a Huey like me. Now if you gentleman ever need the lone ranger, you know the number to dial to rock and roll.' Johnny replied, sidling through the group and walking away.  
'I'll take that challenge LT!' Emily called, glancing at Slash and Myron quickly.  
'What challenge?' Johnny asked, turning back to the group.  
'You say there ain't another jockey who can fly like you. Well I say you're on! You find me a bird and I'll show you how a real pilot handles a Huey.' Emily challenged, taking a step forward without hesitation.  
'Oh god, now he's gone and done it. Emily never could resist aerial challenges. That woman loves to fly.' Slash groaned, hanging his head and turning away.  
'The army doesn't give choppers to any ordinary grunt. You haven't got the training to fly.' Johnny scoffed, missing the hard truth in Emily's eyes.  
'We'll see flyboy, we'll see. Visor, you're riding shotgun!' Emily replied, taking off her gear and handing it all to Kawasaki.  
'Got ya back Em.' Visor replied, passing his kit to Raider and running over to join Emily.  
'Don't even think about it Sergeant!' Johnny ordered, finally realising what she was going to do.  
'You issued the challenge Lieutenant and I don't back down.' Emily replied, climbing up and pulling on the helmet Johnny had left sitting there for her.  
'Best to let her fly, she'll only get worse if you try and stop her. I promise you, she won't harm your precious bird and may even be able to make it better.' Slash sighed, grabbing Johnny firmly by the arm and dragging him clear, Myron stepping in to lend him a hand.

Kicking the engines over, Emily settled in the chair and wrapped her hand around the control column before easing the bird up and around, totally at home at the controls. Beside her, Visor kept one eye on the ground and the other on the gauges as Emily took them higher and wider, just getting a feel for the bird before she put any real stress on it.

Down on the ground, Johnny watched with a mixture of anger and concern as Emily returned to a stable hover before starting her dance around the base.  
'Please no loops Em, you don't know the bird that well.' Wheelie uttered, coming up beside Johnny and watching as Emily pulled off a surprisingly steep turn.  
'She won't risk it. She knows it not her bird. If that was her bird, she'd be putting a real show.' Windvest replied, also watching the lone bird in the air.  
'No loop but looking at that, she's gonna try for a roll.' Goggles called, standing behind the small group as Emily eased the bird around and tipped it to the right until she hit the critical point. Jaw scraping on the ground, Johnny couldn't believe his eyes as his chopper hung in the air rotors down for a second before rolling back upright in a complete circle.

Bringing the chopper down safely, Emily cut the engines and slid out, Visor coming around to stand beside her.  
'That was…crazy dangerous…but seriously amazing. Where did you learn to do that?' Johnny gaped, staring at Emily for a moment longer before shaking his head to clear the stupor.  
'It's all in the touch Lieutenant. Treat her right and she'll do almost anything you ask of her. If you like, I'm sure Wheelie and his mechanics could get this girl cleaned up and properly aligned to give you the best chance of pulling off manoeuvres like that. I bet Charlie will be real scared if you swept in and pulled off that roll right over their heads. Of course, you'll need a crew with balls of steel and decent straps to keep your gunners in place.' Emily shrugged, grabbing her gear and walking off as though nothing had changed.  
'Told ya so.' Slash uttered, turning and jogging after Emily.  
'Who do I talk to about getting my bird looked at by Wheelie and his mechanics?' Johnny asked, looking at the mice around him.  
'You're looking at us LT. I'm Wheelie, that's Goggles and Windvest. Leave it to us, we'll get things done without interrupting your schedule.' Wheelie grinned, glancing at Goggles for a moment.  
'Back in a flash.' Goggles nodded, turning and running off to grab their tools.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Taking her helmet off and running her free hand through her sweaty hair, Emily spotted Myron talking to some other woman and grinned, nudging Streaks quickly before putting her helmet back on.  
'Up for a little reporter teasing?' she asked, confident in her call on the woman.  
'Hell yeah, ya know I can't resist a bit of fun.' Streaks nodded, sticking in close to Emily as they wandered over to stand beside Myron.  
'When you go into a ville and a mama-san smiles at you and her little girl rides by on a bicycle with a basketful of pineapple and beer. And the first GI that reaches in that basket goes up with it. They're scraping what's left of him off the nearest tree.' Myron growled, not looking up to see who was standing behind him, he knew by the shadows on his back and the tail he could see out the corner of his eye.  
'I understand you have a responsibility to write a letter home to the family when something like that happens.' the reporter nodded, not giving any thought to the pair standing behind Myron.  
'Yeah.' Myron nodded, trying not to get irked by this damn reporter.  
'What do you say?' she asked, trying to gauge how her question would be taken.  
'You have got to be kidding. Man, this one is even dumber than the last fuckin' reporter we had to deal with.' Streaks groaned, spotting his perfect opening.  
'If I hear a whisper of her coming in the field with us, I'll shoot her myself before we go. I ain't losing anyone else to reporters and their ideas for getting stories. Fuckin' hell, its bad enough we lost Captain Wallace to one, I ain't losin' Myron too.' Emily nodded, yanking her helmet off and securing it to her webbing.  
'And let's not forget she was partially responsible for Zeke getting shot too Em.' Streaks agreed, following Emily's actions.  
'What the…' the reporter blinked for a moment before her eyes rolled up and she fainted, landing heavily on the ground.  
'What happened to being a gentleman and catchin' the faintin' lady?' Emily grinned, stepping over the unconscious woman.  
'You call that a lady? Em, you need to get your eyes checked.' Streaks sniggered, patting Myron on the shoulder before walking off.  
'Come on LT, before you miss out on your well deserved hot shower.' Emily nodded, leaving the reporter lying in the dirt as she walked away.  
'Couldn't agree more. Damn reporters.' Myron sighed, signalling for a Sergeant to take Alex to the dispensary before walking away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Joining the guys in the shower, Emily smiled softly as her boys slipped in and sat just short of the water, tails wagging as they silently begged for a shower too.  
'never could resit you pair.' she grinned, kneeling and getting them out of their uniform shirts before turning on the water and motioning for them to join her.  
'Em, you spoil those two.' Danny grinned, lathering up his hair quickly.  
'I spoil you guys too. How many other bases get the joy of seeing a naked woman in the shower on a daily basis?' Emily replied, giving the dogs a good scrub before turning her attention to her own dirt crusted frame.  
'Percell! Percell! We've been primed and pumped for this party of yours for so long. I want you to know, I'm expecting Martha and the Vandellas to put in a personal appearance.' Taylor called, hanging his towel on the wall and joining the group under the showers.  
'Cut the man some slack on his birthday Marcus. Though Martha and the Vandellas does sound mighty fine by yours truly.' Johnson added, also joining the shower group.  
'What, one pretty woman ain't enough for you boys to handle?' Emily teased, waving to some of the other guys staring at her glistening chest.  
'Hot damn, you lucky fucks! How'd you snag such a beautiful woman?' one of the other guys called, walking over to get a closer look.  
'They didn't snag me, I snagged them.' Emily shrugged, turning her back on the outgoing Sergeant and scrubbing what sections of her back she could reach.  
'What'dya say we go out tonight?' he tried, leaning on the shower wall and almost drooling over Emily as she turned back around.  
'Not gonna happen Sergeant, I already got me a real man.' Emily chuckled, one hand on Danny's arm to stop him from turning off the shower as Decal wandered in and threw his towel up with the others.  
'That's it, make fun of the little guy.' he sighed, stepping under the water as Danny towelled off.  
'I just don't want you to slip and hurt yourself Dec.' Danny grinned, ruffling Decal's brilliant orange hair quickly.  
'Oi, get outta that before I put your ass on the floor.' Decal yelped, batting Danny's hand away.  
'Watch it Danny, these guys ain't like us. Ya can't get rough around their antennae, they're kinda sensitive.' Emily warned, totally dismissing the Sergeant still leaning on the shower wall.  
'Keep forgettin' that. Sorry Dec, didn't mean to cause problems.' Danny nodded, laying one hand on Decal's shoulder gently.  
'Forget it ya big lug. No harm, no foul.' Decal grinned, his fur returning to its usual shade of light brown as he enjoyed the shower.  
'Hey, you guys have time to a talk. Maybe we'll go grab a beer before the party.' Danny asked, walking away from the water now he was dry.  
'We don't wanna talk Percell.' Johnson replied, shaking his head quickly.  
'That's right, we wanna get down.' Taylor added, lathering up his chest.  
'I'm available if you want Danny. Party is good but I'm always around to listen.' Emily offered, shutting off the water and drying off before kneeling and towelling the dogs down and getting them back into uniform.  
'Thanks Em, knew I could count on ya.' Danny nodded, holding the door as Emily wrapped her special towel around her naked body and walked off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Ears lowered and tucked in close to his head against the loud music, Fog slumped at the bar in the EM Club and stared into his half glass of booze. Beside him, Zeke was in a similar state, turning things over in his head.  
'Seems so quiet without him around. Man, why'd I let him leave without saying a proper goodbye.' Fog uttered, throwing back the last of his drink and signalling for another. Beside him, Zeke turned to look over his shoulder as something snapped against his back.  
'It's not healthy to drink alone, take it from an expert.' Myron grinned, settling between them.  
'Yeah?' Zeke asked, signalling the bartender.  
'Yeah. Come on Fog, lighten up.' Myron nodded, turning his focus to the dejecting mouse at his other shoulder.  
'With all respect LT, get bent.' Fog replied, getting up and downing his drink before leaving.  
'What's his problem?' Myron asked, turning to Zeke.  
'It's Fog's bretzra today. The day where he is supposed to cement a relationship with the one he loves. Unfortunately, his beloved ain't here and there's nothing that can be done.' Revs injected, taking the vacated stool beside Myron.  
'Anything we can do to help?' Zeke asked, his own troubles forgotten for a moment.  
'Unless you can reach out and pull his beloved out of this air, nothing. Now what were you saying about it not being healthy to drink alone.' Revs shrugged, ordering up a beer.  
'You know, when I first got shipped over here, I went on your classic bender. I don't think if was from fear of combat, it was probably more from fear of failure.' Myron grinned, waving the bartender off when his glass was about a third full.  
'Your old man huh.' Zeke surmised, still playing with his glass.  
'Mm-hum. Anyway, I think I was still hung over when we touched down at Camrod. I figured I'm not gonna measure up to him anyway so I might as well find my own flames to get shot down in.' Myron chuckled, sipping his whiskey contentedly.  
'My old man was a boxer, I ever tell you that? He was a club fighter, had a glass jaw with a big reputation as a drinker, woman-chaser.' Zeke offered, head cradled in one hand.  
'Wait a minute. I thought you said you were an orphan.' Myron corrected, a little confused now.  
'I was, I am. I mean, he ran out on my mom when she was still pregnant with me. And after she had me, she couldn't keep me so she had to turn over custody to the state. And, uh, couple years later, she got killed in a car wreck and there I was.' Zeke shrugged, comfortable with his story even around the mice.  
'Sorry. So what happened to him?' Myron asked, interested to know more about the man he trusted with his life.  
'Well, when I was old enough I, uh, I set out hitchhiking around the country, trying to find him. Took a whole year trying to track him down. This, uh, this man I'd never even met but I hated. I didn't know what I was gonna do when I found him.' Zeke replied with a shrug, keeping his last thought to himself.  
'Well, did you find him?' Revs asked, curious as to how similar their stories were.  
'Yes I did. Elizabeth, New Jersey. I spent a whole day one day watching him play in the park with his new wife and kids. And, at the end of the day, I just, uh, got up and I waked away and I never looked back.' Zeke recalled, playing with his glass again.  
'Least you got closure. My dad did the same thing, but mom kept saying he did it for a reason. He left to fight for our safety. Found out later he left to screw a couple other women before getting back to the war. Saw my dad for a few minutes when I came of age but after that, he was gone. No idea where or even if he's still alive back home somewhere.' Revs sighed, tipping his head to Zeke in understanding.  
'Yeah but it don't count for nothing. I got stuff going on in my life now I, uh, I cannot come to terms with.' Zeke nodded, thoughts turning back to his most pressing concern.  
'Seeing your ex.' Revs surmised, understanding Zeke's concern about that particular thing.  
'Yeah. I mean, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why she left me. I reupped twice, three tours in Nam.' Zeke replied, seeing the flicker of understanding in Revs' eyes.  
'Wel look, the Tet ceasefire is coming up. Charlie's gonna be on vacation, praying at the moon or visiting his dead relatives, whatever the hell he does. Why don't you take a day or so? Hell, I'm going to Saigon.' Myron suggested, a warn grin on his face.  
'The lady journalist?' Zeke asked, glad to hear Myron was relaxing a little more.  
'Yeah, she promised not to write the Rivera story, I promised to buy her a drink.' Myron replied, taking another slug of his drink.  
'Wish we could get Em off base for the day. She's been pushing too hard lately and I really hate the thought of losing her.' Revs sighed, waving for another beer.

Falling silent at that thought, the trio went back to their drinks and enjoyed what down time they had to grab a drink and talk like real people. Then Johnny McKay walked in with some other guy and Revs immediately didn't like the way things were looking. Keeping his head down and back turned, he blatantly dismissed the Lieutenant from his attention as Zeke and Myron turned to him and tried not to lose their patience with the cocky pilot.  
'Lieutenant, I think everybody in this room has seen their share of the war.' Zeke tried, looking to Revs for support.  
'That's true but you see Anderson, I was born and bred a winner. It's never been enough for me to just be in the game. You know, I was told by a mutual friend in Saigon that you were a winner too Goldman or at least a contender.' McKay replied, gaze turning to Myron's back.  
'And who would that be McKay?' he asked, turning back to the chopper jock.  
'Oh, Alex Devlin.' Johnny grinned, trying to get a reaction but Revs doubted he'd get the one he wanted from Myron.  
'Tell me something McKay. Why is it most of you chopper jocks gotta constantly prove what hotshots you are? Is there some sort of a code? Hearts and minds? Heroes and villains?' Myron challenged, putting his drink and cap on the bar before turning and getting to his feet.  
'Well, uh, mostly I'm just here to grease gooks for mom, apple pie and the flag. What are you here for Goldman?' Johnny answered the challenge, getting right into Myron's personal space.  
'Excuse me gentlemen. Lieutenant McKay, no disrespect intended here but won't you please just take it on down the line? We don't want to blood spilled here tonight.' Zeke tried, turning to watch the two men.  
'Speak for yourself Zeke. Personally, I'm all for throwing the troublemaker down and outta our club.' Revs added, still keeping his back to McKay.  
'I heard that Sergeant.' McKay snapped, focus diverted from Myron for the moment.  
'Yup, we got a real sharp one here boys. Someone wanna explain my words to this here Lieutenant?' Revs called, lifting his drink overhead.  
'Uhhh duuuuhhhh Lieutenant, you were supposed to hear him.' Center Line drawled, pulling the best dumb face anyone had ever seen.  
'Those ain't empty words either. Ain't hard to see when Revs is looking for a fight and you just had to go and step in it hip deep.' Plate added, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.  
'What'dya say guys, kick him outta the EM Club?' Shard asked, getting to his feet.  
'Allow me to do the honours.' Phantom volunteered, also standing up and approaching McKay.  
'By all means bro, he's no real challenge anyway. I'd rather go three rounds with a real soldier than a chopper jock.' Revs nodded, going back to his drink.

Nodding slowly, Phantom snagged Johnny's wrist and flipped him around, making good use of the defense grips Falcon had taught him.  
'Take your hands off me Private!' Johnny snagged, trying to fight back as Phantom pushed him towards the door.  
'The men have spoken McKay, you're outta here.' Myron called, moving aside as Mark grabbed Johnny's buddy and escorted him to the door.  
'We don't want ya in here now piss off!' Phantom snapped, flicking around and sending Johnny out the door to land in a heap on the ground, his friend landing a few seconds later.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Emily ruffled her boys up before turning and pointing her finger at Revs.  
'I swear to god Revs, you'd better take good care of my boys. I don't know why the hell I agreed to this.' she warned, opening the door and stepping outside.  
'Relax Em, I'll take good care of them. Zeke needs your support now, ain't right to make him go through this alone. Slash and the Sergeants can take care of the guys, you just go and have fun.' Revs replied, chasing Emily away before going back inside to finish cleaning his gear.  
'This is such a bad idea.' she uttered, heading over to where Zeke was talking to Taylor and Johnson.

Climbing onto the bus and getting comfortable, Emily cast her gaze out over the base and watched her friends going about their daily routines as Zeke and company got talking to a pretty young woman.  
'Oh god, not this again.' she groaned, shaking her head in disbelief. 'Well, at least I only gotta keep my eye on one of them.'

#$~$#@#$~$#

Following Zeke off the bus, Emily tried not to feel exposed in the more feminine clothes the guys had insisted she wear.  
'I should hate you for agreeing to this Zeke. But then, I'd be making a mistake if I let you handle this alone.' she sighed, smiling softly as Zeke took her bag.  
'Relax Em, you look fine. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself if you wanna go do something else.' Zeke replied, the mere thought of Captain Wallace enough to keep him from saying things he probably shouldn't.  
'No, I said I'd stick by you and that's what I'm gonna do. You know me, I don't leave anyone hanging on their own.' Emily corrected, following Zeke across the busy street and into the Caravel Hotel.

Staying right behind Zeke, Emily tried to calm her battle instincts but they refused to be silenced and she found herself scanning the crowd. Zeke stopped and stared at a beautiful woman with long brown hair as she stirred her drink slowly.  
'Wow, she really is something special. Well go on, don't just stand there looking a fool.' Emily grinned, giving him a sharp nudge.  
'Stick close Em, I have no idea what's about to happen.' Zeke replied, handing Emily her bag before walking across the room.

Finding a spot to sit, Emily smiled softly as the woman stood and smiled faintly, a little nervous but Emily had half expected that.  
'Hi Zeke.' she offered, eyes locked on his face.  
'Hi Carol. I tried your room but they said you were down here.' Zeke replied, smiling warmly as he looked at her pretty face.  
'Oh yeah. You know me and my coffee. If I don't have a few cups in the morning, I have to a kick start to get through the day.' Carol chuckled, not sure what to do next.  
'Come here.' Zeke uttered, beckoning her closer. Closing the gap, Carol stepped into his arms, head landing on his shoulder. Zeke held her close, burying his face in her hair and inhaling.

Pulling back slowly, Carol just looked at Zeke again and Emily knew something was up and Zeke was likely to get hurt badly.  
'It's good to see you.' he offered, relaxing a little more.  
'You too. I was worried about you. There was some Marines in here and they were talking that Khe Sahn had been attacked by a large unit of VC and NVA.' Carol replied, taking a seat but the tension was still thick in the air.  
'Yeah, we've been hearing those reports. They're getting mortared and rocketed pretty hard up there. We're just praying it doesn't turn out to be another Dien Bien Phu.' Zeke nodded, trying to relax but it wasn't quite working. 'Look Carol, I've got so much I want to say to you, you know. I mean, you know how I feel. I said it about as well as I could say it in my letters.'  
'Zeke, I only have a short time. I have a return flight tomorrow.' Carol replied, shaking her head slowly as Zeke tried to get his words in order.  
'I was thinking you could at least stick around for a couple days, you know.' Zeke stated, heart clenching a little at the thought of saying goodbye so soon.  
'Well it isn't that easy.' Carol sighed, hating what she had to do.  
'Oh don't get me wrong. I know it wasn't smooth sailing for you to get over here.' Zeke nodded, grateful Emily was sitting nearby and putting out a confident aura.  
'Tell me about it. I was lucky enough I could make arrangements through Bragg to catch a military hop over. But I couldn't get that much time off work.' Carol explained, still trying to keep spirits high but Emily knew things weren't going to end well.

Dropping his gaze, Zeke tried to calm his mind and heart but it was a difficult fight that he wasn't sure he could win.  
'Zeke, when I got your letter, I felt I had to come. We had to talk.' Carol tried, emotions starting to play havoc.  
'That's good. Because even though we have a short time, this is an opportunity for us to clear the air.' Zeke nodded, not seeing what Emily could from where she was sitting. 'And god you look good, you do. I like your hair like this.' he added, reaching out to feel her long hair gently.  
'You have time for a walk?' Carol laughed, enduring the contact but it wasn't easy for her.  
'Hey, Carol, I've got nothing but time for you. And if I can ever get this war out of the way, maybe you'll give me a chance to prove it.' Zeke replied, lowering his hand as Carol nodded slightly.  
'Don't you dare break his heart lady, he deserves so much more than that.' Emily uttered, grabbing her bag and following the pair out of the hotel.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Keeping her distance, Emily browsed the market stalls while still keeping most of her focus on Zeke and Carol up ahead.  
'Please don't say those words Carol, don't leave him with nothing to live for.' she whispered, admiring some nice artwork and smiling faintly.  
'I want it to work out this time.' Zeke nodded, turning to Carol as they stopped.  
'Zeke, I always wanted it to work.' Carol replied, moving off again.  
'I figured, you know, trying to have a personal life and a life in the military at the same time, you gotta make sacrifices, you know. I made some mistakes, I made all the mistakes. But I just don't wanna throw away what we had.' Zeke sighed, glancing back to make sure Emily was still with them as they kept moving.  
'Zeke, what we had was slipping away even before you left for Nam whether you want to admit it or not.' Carol retorted gently, the harsh truth a massive slap in the face for Zeke.  
'I know, I know.' Zeke nodded, the rest of his words cut off by Carol.  
'Zeke, your daughter just turned three. Do you know when her birthday is? Do you remember the colour of her eyes?' she asked, heaping more pain onto Zeke without realising.  
'Damn, you're gonna kill him at this rate woman.' Emily sighed, moving a little closer.  
'Alright, I shouldn't have forgotten her birthday. I'm sorry about that. I'm only fighting a war over here. God, I'm not nominating myself for any medals or anything at all. I'm just telling you, if I had a chance, if I had half a change, I know I could come back and I could be a damn good father and a good husband.' Zeke tried, half an eye on Emily as she stuck close and spoke to one of the shopkeepers as cover.  
'Zeke, people either have to get to the point where they're going forward or they're going back.' Carol argued, anger rising just a little.  
'You don't think I know that? Honey, we got, we gotta reach for more than what we got. I'm just trying to tell you I'm willing to do that.' Zeke replied, starting to get just a little bit desperate to keep Carol.  
'Oh Zeke, I want it to.' Carol sighed, going to turn away from him.  
'Listen to me, please. Give me another chance. I wanna come home.' Zeke almost begged, but in the end wound up watching Carol walk away.

Moving in to support Zeke, Emily froze and turned away as Carol turned back, a sad look on her face as she walked back to him.  
'Zeke, I'll always love you but I have to make a life for Katie and myself. I made this trip because I felt I had an obligation to tell you face to face. I'm getting remarried Zeke.' she offered, the truth out free and Zeke didn't know what to do as his dreams crumbled down around him.  
'Wha?' he managed, absolutely frozen and stuck near dumb.  
'He's not you, it's not magic but he's a nice guy and I'm happy. For the first time in four years, I'm happy and I have a life outside the army. Can you understand that?' Carol continued, her composure cracking at the look of pain on Zeke's rugged face. Looking to Emily for a moment, Zeke wrapped his free arm around Carol as she stepped up and hugged him tight.  
'Damnit, just what he didn't need.' Emily sighed, mind whirling as she tried to come up with a way to get Zeke back on track.

#$~$#@#$~$#

One hand firmly on Zeke's back, Emily propelled him towards the nearest bar, not sure what else to do in this situation.  
'Where'd I go wrong? How did it all go so wrong?' Zeke muttered, letting Emily lead him down the street.  
'It's not your fault Zeke, you hear me? Come on man, ya scaring me here.' Emily replied, not liking the far away look in Zeke's eyes.  
'I can't let her go, I love her so much. Gotta find her, try and sort this out.' Zeke continued, starting to scan the crowd in an attempt to find Carol.  
'Aw hell, was hoping it wouldn't come to this.' Emily growled, grabbing Zeke's face firmly between her hands and leaning in to kiss the life back into him.

Eyes blowing wide, Zeke gently shoved Emily back, large hands wrapped over her shoulders.  
'What do ya think you're doing Em?' he asked, staring at her in disbelief and shock.  
'Pulling you back before you do something crazy. You gotta…whoa fuck!' Emily jumped, hearing the loud explosion from the heart of the city.  
'The LT! He's here with that reporter, Alex Devlin. Think he said something about lunch and a quiet chat.' Zeke called, grabbing Emily by the wrist and sprinting down the street towards the bomb site.  
'I'll handle the LT, you have to go see Carol off. Go on, let her know there's no hard feelings.' Emily replied, giving Zeke a gentle push in the right direction.  
'Yeah, good plan. Watch ya butt Em, I don't wanna have to write Rusty and tell him I let you get hurt.' Zeke nodded, hurrying off to hail a cab and catch up with Carol before she left.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Swearing softly, Emily found a little hideaway and quickly changed, shoving her pretty girly clothes into her bag and changing into a half decent pair of jeans and a well fitting black tee. Shouldering her bag again, she headed out into the streets again, feeling much more like herself now that she was wearing her style of clothes and had her Steel Eagle tucked in her belt.

Sensing trouble, she scanned the area again and spotted that same pretty lady from the bus being hassled by half a dozen guys.  
'This day just keeps getting better and better.' she sighed, snugging down her backpack and approaching the situation carefully.  
'Darling, honey. Sweetheart, where did you go? I mean, I'm standing there in the lobby of the hotel looking around and you're gone.' Zeke called, ignoring Emily and walking over to the pretty woman. 'Oh this is my little darling. See we were having an argument and she took off. You know, fellows like you can understand something like that. Honey, this is not the neighbourhood to go wandering off in.' he continued, hoping they didn't run out of luck.  
'Sorry man, didn't know she was taken. No harm, no foul, right?' Emily offered, pulling off her best macho look as she too approached the group.  
'We're cool man. Now you stay right here and I'll just get your bag and we'll be on our way.' Zeke replied leaning down to collect the suitcase then freezing as he felt the icy steel of a gun barrel at his temple.

Standing up again, he looked around and gauged their chances of getting out alive.  
'I take it ya'll aren't from the chamber of commerce are ya?' he asked, jumping as the main gook put a bullet right between his feet. Beside him, the woman screamed and jumped, not sure what to do. 'Alright, alright.'  
'Zeke, please. I don't care about the bag.' she tried, barely holding her composure.  
'Alright, I'll tell you what. Let's be reasonable. You make an offer, name your price and you got it. And we'll take the bags and we'll be on our way.' Zeke offered, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket.  
'Forget it man, they'll take the money and your bags. Let me handle this one.' Emily barked, throwing her hat to the ground and charging into the fray.

Within minutes it was over, five unconscious bodies sprawled on the ground and Emily standing over them, daring anyone to intervene.  
'Damnit Anderson, you're as bad as the LT.' she hissed, grabbing the luggage and walking over to the pair.  
'I though you were watching over the LT.' Zeke replied, taking the bags and heading for the safer part of town.  
'I'm just a lowly Sergeant, I couldn't get into the press offices where Alex was holed up with Goldman and McKay.' Emily shrugged, glancing at the frightened woman on Zeke's other side.  
'Welcome to Saigon.' Zeke offered, peeved he'd gotten into that situation but grateful Emily had been there to pull him out of it before things really got bad.

#$~$#@#$~$#

The moment the first shot rang out upstairs at Hotel Paradise, Emily dropped her backpack into Zeke's hands and headed up the stairs.  
'You claimed her Zeke, Stacey is your problem.' she called, whipping around the corner and vanishing from sight.  
'Damnit Hunter, you're gonna get killed one of these days.' Zeke sighed, looking at the bag and Stacey for a moment before heading up after Emily.

Coming off the stairs, Emily listened for more shots as a half naked guy came towards her.  
'I'm getting the MP's. There's a Marine in there with a gun and a baby.' he offered, heading downstairs quickly. Stepping into the doorway, she watched the Marine lift his head before he sat up and pointed the cocked handgun at her, baby held close in the other arm.  
'Hold it how, hold it now. It's be a natural crime for you to waste all your ammo on me instead of on Charlie.' she coaxed, taking her hat off and letting it fall before she raised her hands.  
'Don't come in here.' he ordered, gun hand shaking.  
'Looks like a pretty little girl there, am I right? Now listen to me, I got a little girl too. When's the last time she had something to eat?' Emily soothed, the lie flowing easily as the troubled Marine struggled to realise she was actually not the usual male soldier.  
'Eat? I dunno. Where's Kim? You take her away?' the Marine replied, looking dazed and lost.  
'No, no, now you gotta believe me, I didn't do nothin' like that. Somebody find out if anybody knows a Kim.' Emily shook her head, turning to look at the people gathered in the hallway without taking her eye off the Marine.  
'She's one of the girls who works here.' the female owner replied, cool and calm as she stood there with Zeke and Johnson.  
'Is that the baby's momma? Her name's Kim?' Emily nodded, easing into the room slowly.  
'I love her…so much it hurts.' he replied, cracking badly and struggling to hold the gun steady.  
'Yeah well, love's a mighty powerful notion.' Emily agreed, waiting for just the right moment.  
'It's not her fault. Oughta be gone from here but Bridger never showed with what we needed. I don't wanna hurt anybody.' he uttered, so close to breaking point but Emily still waited for her chance to strike without hurting anyone.  
'I know you don't, I know you don't wanna hurt anybody so you gotta listen to me. I'm gonna walk across the room real slow now and I want you to hand me the pistol.' Emily soothed, keeping low and off to one side a little as she inched closer, calm and focused on her target.

Reaching out, she took the weapon from unresisting hands and dropped the mag out before tucking it into her belt.  
'that's it soldier, it's okay now.' she uttered, gently scooping the baby up and holding her in one arm as the Marine broke down and wept helplessly. Sitting beside him, Emily draped her free arm around his shoulders and held him close, offering freely of her presence until this mess was sorted out. Zeke poked his head around the corner and smiled softly, relieved to have had such a peaceful ending to what could have been a very bad situation.  
'Get me something to feed this little darling Zeke.' Emily called, keeping the Marine focused on her as Zeke nodded and walked away.

Returning a short time later, Zeke handed Emily the bottle and sat beside the Marine as Emily moved away to feed the baby. The Marine lit a cigarette and let out a deep sigh before starting his tale, head hanging low.  
'I was stationed at the embassy, but I'm AWOL. I was gonna take Kim with me, if Bridger got the forged passports. Why would anybody do something like that? Kill her like that?' he offered, barely holding onto his emotions.  
'Why'd you go AWOL?' Zeke asked, glancing at Emily for a moment.  
'I wanted to marry her, adopt the baby. But they jerked me around with the forms I had to fill out. So command got upset and said he was transferring me to a rifle platoon up north by the DMZ.' he explained, looking over to the little baby.  
'Hey Sarge, there's MP's outside in the lobby.' Johnson warned, barging into the room quickly.  
'MP? No way, I can't deal with that man. No, no way.' he panicked, moving away from Zeke.  
'Alright, just calm down. I'll go downstairs, I'll talk to them. I'll help you anyway I can.' Zeke promised, leaning forward a little more.  
'They're gonna take me right?'  
'Yeah, they might take you but as long as you didn't have anything to do with Kim's death, you're gonna be alright.' Zeke replied, nodding slowly.  
'No man, they're gonna say I'm AWOL. And that I killed her. I can't take that.' Listening to the MP's downstairs, Johnson grabbed Emily's discarded hat and slipped in onto her head, knowing how vital it was to hide Emily's true identity from the military cops.  
'I'll take the baby to the other room.' she uttered, getting up and taking off out of sight again.

There was near silence for a few moments as the Marine cracked and sobbed, totally lost and feeling trapped.  
'I killed her.' he confessed out of the blue. Zeke looked up slowly, not believing what he'd just heard. 'I killed her.' he repeated, breaking down completely. 'I loved her and I killed her. Cause she was using…what I told her. Her brother's VC. She wanted to know about the embassy. The layout, where the guards were, the defences, and she just kept pumping me and pumping me. I just couldn't take it anymore.'  
'So you did tell her things.' Zeke surmised, his concern growing more and more.  
'I told her everything.'  
'Alright, alright, look. Listen to me. Listen to me. I hate what you did but I just figure you're another victim of this whole mess that we're all involved in over here. So now you try to hold it together while we sort things out. Alright?' Zeke offered, knowing he had a lot of things to balance and deal with.  
'Hold it together man, this whole place is crawling with VC. MP's don't get me, the VC will.' patting the young Marine on the knee, Zeke stood and walked over to where Johnson was standing by the door, watching things unfold.  
'Alright Johnson, you stay here and keep him company. I'm gonna go downstairs and talk to the MP's. Maybe I can get them to keep it under wraps.' Zeke instructed, turning back to look at the Marine as he pulled a second gun from his duffle and lifted it to his mouth. 'No!' he roared, eyes blowing wide but there was nothing that could be done as the Marine pulled the trigger, splattering his brains across the walls.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Spotting Johnny and the female reporter running across the base, Slash grabbed his rifle and took off after them, something telling him the news was bad.  
'Yo, what's got you so bugged?' he asked, catching up with them easily.  
'This fly boy here sent Myron down the Phu Loc highway on his own.' Devlin replied, not caring about the strange appearance of this other soldier.  
'Man, after you got pitched outta the EM Club, I woulda thought you'd learn not to fuck around with anyone who served at Ladybird. Just wait til Em hears about this, she'll do a lot more than outfly your sorry ass.' Slash growled, leaping into Johnny's chopper before he could say anything.

Hunkered down low, Slash snarled low in his throat, anger just below simmering point.  
'So how well do you know Goldman?' the reporter asked, turning to look at Slash.  
'We've been through hell together. We served at Ladybird until we were transferred here. Arrived a day after he did. We've grown into our roles as Lieutenants together and I'm proud to fight along side him.' Slash replied, still glaring at Johnny.  
'Sounds like you've got a lot of respect for him.'  
'Yes I do. Look, I know you're a reporter so I'm gonna give you the same warning Em gave the last one we dealt with. You keep my guys off TV and out of the papers or you're dead and so is everyone else you work with. We're here in secret, the rest of the world doesn't need to know about us or our role here in Nam.' Slash nodded, face set in a grim line as he went back to watching the passing ground.

#$~$#@#$~$#

The moment he saw the flash of blue that was Myron's shirt, Slash secured a long rope on a special pulley system to the landing gear and jumped, firing his rifle with his left hand as he controlled his descent with his right. Touching down lightly, he released the rope and let the auto recoil mechanism pull it back to safety as he ran over to take shelter behind the jeep.  
'So much for Emily's ideas on this chopper jock.' Myron called, lifting his rifle and firing off another few aimless shots.  
'We all make mistakes.' Slash grinned, leaning around the back of the jeep and opening fire.

Knowing his back was unprotected, Myron kept his ears tuned for anything coming up behind and just hoped Slash was doing the same. Glancing over his saw the unmistakable signs of movement and eased away from the jeep, swinging out to take shelter behind a fallen tree. Nodding once, Slash kept up his assault on the VC across the road as Myron waited for the lone man at their rear to show his face.

The moment the VC popped up from his hiding place, Myron sat up and took him out quickly.  
'Next time, you play bait!' Slash called, ducking back behind the jeep as Myron hustled over and crouched beside him again.  
'First we gotta get out of this one.' Myron replied, glancing up at the circling chopper.  
'Alex likes you, she'll make sure Johnny picks you up. I'm not sure she's good for you but it ain't my call.' Slash nodded, opening fire again. Turning around, Myron headed for the one he'd nailed behind them, his officer instincts taking over. Slash gave up the assault and hustled to join him, letting out a yell as a wild bullet clipped his right ear.

Landing beside Myron, he tilted his head so the blood ran off his ear and dripped to the ground as Myron pulled a folded map and wad of orange cards from inside the shirt of the dead VC.  
'Grab it and go, there's no time.' Slash snapped, hauling Myron to his feet and giving him a shove into the chopper before climbing up and sinking to the floor.  
'Are you okay?' Alex called, turning to look at the pair as Johnny lifted off.  
'Yeah, nothing to it. I've taken worse in my years fighting.' Slash grinned, head rolling forward as a precaution against blood falling into his ear proper.  
'Thanks for coming after me Slash. Doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened.' Myron grinned, digging out his handkerchief and lightly pressing it to Slash's ear.  
'Anytime Myron, anytime. You know you can always depend on us, no matter what.' Slash replied, wincing a little at the pressure but holding his tongue.  
'And I am so grateful of that support.' Myron nodded, slumping down beside Slash.  
'We all need a leg up once in a while. Oh, gotta grab my rope before McKay lands.' Slash sighed, lifting Myron's hand clear.  
'Already got it for you.' the gunner nodded, handing over the neatly coiled rope and equipment.  
'Thanks man. Blade would have my hide if I lost this.' Slash grinned, resecuring the equipment to his webbing and allowing Myron to go back to tending his wound.  
'This makes three Purple Hearts for you now I believe.' Myron teased, turning the handkerchief around a little to get a clean patch onto the wound.  
'Yep, one for the graze to my shoulder and one for that time I did a Goggles.' Slash chuckled, remembering that occasion all too well.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Leaning against the wall and keeping a low profile, Emily listened and watched as Taylor, Johnson and Zeke squared off against Bridger. The more he said, the more Emily hated him but still she stayed her hand, knowing Zeke would never forgive her if she did something stupid. The moment he said they needed something, Emily's alert status went from relaxed and ready to more than a little nervy and ready to kill but only to defend those she cared for. There was no way in hell she was putting her butt on the line for Bridger.  
'I don't like this Sarge, he's a likely to lead us into a trap as not.' she warned, pushing off the wall and sliding back into her macho persona.  
'I hear ya there Hunter but we don't have another choice. Stay cool Hunter, we'll be alright.' Zeke replied, understanding her need for secrecy.  
'This is the last time I listen to any of Doc's great ideas.' Emily sighed, catching the rifle Bridger threw her way and looking it over carefully.  
'Well, what'd ya think?' Zeke asked softly, watching Emily check and recheck everything on the weapon for faults or problems.  
'Nope, I don't trust it. You can put your trust in these weapons if you want but I ain't gonna. I'd rather take my chances with my knife than risk that thing.' Emily shook her head, tossing the weapon onto the bed and drawing the large knife from her belt.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Touching down safely back at Tan Son Nhut, Slash gently brushed Myron's hand away before climbing out and looking over the facility.  
'Guys! There he is!' Wheelie called, turning and running over to Slash.  
'Where've ya been? We've been looking all over for ya?' Decal asked, sprinting over from the other direction.  
'Let's just say McKay fucked up royally and damn near got Goldman killed.' Slash sighed, not really in the mood to tell the story from start to end.  
'You're bleeding. Come on, let me have a look.' Revs cut in, spotting the dark blood stain in Slash's fur the moment he was in range.  
'It's nothing serious Revs, just a little bullet wound.' Slash replied, ducking away from the black medic quickly.  
'I get it bro, I get it. Alright guys, back to what you were doing.' Revs nodded, ushering the rest of the worried mice away.

Turning back to the chopper, Slash waited for Myron patiently, looking forward to a long cold drink and some relaxed conversation before bed.  
'Myron! Myron, look. The whole thing was stupid and Johnny's admitted it.' Alex tried, jumping out and moving to stop Myron before he stormed off.  
'I damn near got killed out there!' Myron snapped, temper well frayed.  
'Hey Goldman, I'm sorry. What can I say? Right here if you feel like it.' Johnny offered, lifting his chin just a little.  
'This is going to be good.' Slash muttered, watching transfixed as Myron took Johnny's offer up and let fly a stunning right cross that put McKay down hard.  
'I guess I deserved that.' Johnny groaned, sitting up slowly and rubbing his jaw.  
'I don't like playing games.' Myron growled, turning and walking away.  
'Neither do I. Are you gonna deck me too?' Alex replied, pointing to her chin.  
'Ohhh, don't tempt me lady.' Slash warned, sorely temped to go lay the boot into Johnny while he was still on the ground.  
'Go on Slash, you deserve your shot too.' Myron nodded, picking up on the note in Slash's voice.  
'Why thank you Myron, you really are too kind.' Slash grinned, slipping past Myron to haul Johnny off the ground.

Whipping around, he flipped Johnny over his shoulders and down onto the hard packed ground before yanking him up by the collar.  
'That's for putting my best buddy into the line of fire!' he snarled, throwing McKay to the ground again. This time he dropped on top of the pilot, blood rising at the thought of what could have been. Hauling McKay up again, Slash gave the cocky pilot a rough shake before throwing him again and watching him skid across the ground.

Chuckling softly, Myron walked over and set his hand on Slash's shoulder, watching Johnny sitting up slowly and looking around.  
'Feel any better now bro?' he asked, not in the least sorry for McKay.  
'Yeah bro, I'm feeling better. Go on, finish your conversation with Devlin then we can go grab a drink. There's an aged bottle of fine whiskey in my gear just screaming our names.' Slash nodded, reaching up to lay his hand on Myron's shoulder.  
'You wanted a story on Tet? This is a map outlining the defences of Tan Son Nhut. These are blank civilian ID cards so you can get on the base. I took them off the VC that we killed.' Myron explained, glancing at Slash to make sure the we got the right meaning.  
'Damn, not this again.' Slash groaned, the day Ladybird almost got overrun still fresh in his mind.  
'Charlie's gonna be paying us a visit.' Myron nodded, turning and stalking off with Slash at his side as Alex ran over to check on Johnny and tell him what had just been said.  
'Looks like that drink is gonna have ta wait bro.' Slash sighed, draping his arm around Myron's shoulders again.  
'More so the pity.' Myron agreed, slinging an arm around Slash's shoulders as a sign of the deep friendship they shared.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Exhausted after a night of hell in the city and on base, the two platoons rolled into Saigon in full kit and jumped down from the trucks, spreading out quickly.  
'Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!' Emily called, casting her boys out in a narrow circuit and moving away from the trucks.  
'Look alive, stay alive!' Zeke added, grateful to have 14 for one last mission together.  
'Alright, the 199th has everything from Thon Zup Boulevard south. We got everything from here to the embassy.' Slash instructed, wrapping the rifle shoulder strap around his wrist.  
'Marines got that situation under control?' Wheelie asked, moving off to the far side of the road.  
'Well they took the VC off the ground this morning but, uh, they took some casualties. I don't know how many.' Myron replied, command still bouncing easily from one Lieutenant to the other.  
'Alright, well LT do me a favour. Next time that lady correspondent tries to tell you somethin', you listen.' Zeke grinned, glancing at Revs as he moved the men on.  
'Sergeant, I told her I would listen, she told me she would buy me dinner.' Myron replied, eyes on the rooftops.  
'If you live till dinner.' Kawasaki replied, moving his squad into position.  
'I'll just take the high ground.' Myron replied, still scanning the rooftops carefully.  
'LT, in Saigon there is no high ground.' Fog sighed, chuckling softly before moving off.  
'I know that.' Myron countered, feeling relaxed and calm despite everything.  
'Alright, let's go!' Fog called, turning and starting to move.  
'Watch the rooves.' Kawasaki added, rifle up and roving as he walked.  
'Watch for booby traps.' Zeke nodded, moving down the other side of the road.  
'Keep your intervals. Stay alive.' Emily grinned, casting the dogs out again without a problem because she knew they were capable of street fighting and avoiding anything that could get them harmed or killed.


	13. Downtime

Hefting her knife and holding it lightly in her fingers, Emily sighted on the target board across the clearing and let fly. The Eagle knife blurred through the air before landing with a thud in the board, quivering at the violent impact.  
'Can you teach me how to throw like that?' Zeke asked, retrieving Emily's knife and walking over to her.  
'Yeah, I can do that. Of course, if the knife isn't much good to start with, you'll never have a good arc.' Emily nodded, taking her knife back and balancing it on one finger. Zeke pulled out his combat knife and tried to match the stable balance. It took him a few minutes but he got it and the knife sat stable on his finger.  
'How's this?' he asked, letting Emily inspect the balance.  
'It's a little heavy in the hilt for my taste but we'll see how we go.' Emily shrugged, taking the smaller knife and lining up the target. Bringing her arm back, she let fly and watched the arc closely. It was lower and flatter than her own knife but for Zeke, that wasn't likely to be much of a problem.

Retrieving his knife, Zeke stood beside Emily and watched her go through the motions slowly, pointing out all the details he had to know before she let fly again. Zeke tried to match her but his knife fell short, landing in the dirt and skidding to a stop.  
'You're more of a practical learner, aren't you? Never been much good with books but when shown, it's easy.' Emily nodded, collecting both knifes and walking back to Zeke.  
'Yeah, somethin' like that.' Zeke replied, feeling a little self conscious as Emily handed him his knife hilt first.  
'That's okay, I can still teach you how. Just relax; we'll go through this step by step.' Emily grinned, coming up beside Zeke and guiding him through the motions, explaining things and letting him see how her muscles moved and controlled the knife.

Moving back a half step, Emily nodded and relaxed, watching as Zeke ran through the steps and brought his arm up, sighting on the board and letting fly again. This time the smaller knife slammed into the board and dropped to the ground, kicking up a small puff of dust.  
'Well done Zeke, you've almost got it now.' Emily praised, walking over and picking his knife up. 'Try and relax into your stance a bit more. You're so tense that you're not getting enough power into the throw.' she added, handing the knife over and readjusting Zeke's position.  
'How's that?' he asked, sinking into the position a little more and bringing the knife up.  
'Nope, still too tense. Relax your legs, drop your shoulders and let go.' Emily sighed, showing Zeke again and letting him feel how relaxed she was as she stood there.  
'Okay, I think I got it.' Zeke nodded, shaking out his legs and slipping back into the throwing stance, relaxed and confident.  
'Better, much better. Now turn your leading foot out in the direction you're going to throw.' Emily coaxed, kneeling and shuffling his foot around.  
'This is harder than it looks.' Zeke muttered, trying to remember everything Emily was taking the time to teach him.  
'With practise, it'll become second nature. As you're going through the arm action, you need to pivot on your feet so your body winds up facing in the throw direction.' Emily grinned, getting up and showing Zeke what she meant, upper and lower body working in sync.

Taking a moment to make sure everything was right in my mind, Zeke lifted the knife again and let fly, turning into the throw and sticking the follow through. This shot was perfect, slamming home and wedging into the board.  
'You've got it Zeke, by god you've got it.' Emily praised, clapping him on the back before going to grab his knife.  
'It's one thing to throw at a board. Dunno how I'll do against something that bleeds.' Zeke grinned, unable to believe how right this new skill felt.  
'Just keep thinking you're throwing at a board, that's what I do. Just practise and keep up the good work, you'll be proficient in no time.' Emily grinned, returning to the line and drawing both her knives. Raising both over her shoulders, she let fly and sent them spinning into the wall together, right in the positions to pin a guy to the wall by the shoulders of his shirt.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Wiping the sweat from his face, Slash walked over and settled beside Myron, knocking shoulders with the slightly older man as he sat.  
'So how was your first mission alone?' Myron asked, looking up from his cigarette.  
'Hard but we managed. Don't like the fact command thought it was a good idea to split us up like that.' Slash replied, pulling out his own pack of smokes and frowning we he noticed he was running short.  
'Well, it does encourage you to think more for yourself and I'm finding I'm coming up with ideas that I wouldn't have thought of without having spent time at Ladybird with you.' Myron grinned, offering Slash one of his cigarettes.  
'I know what you mean Myron. I've got a few left but I'm gonna have to get more today.' Slash nodded, lighting up and looking over the base slowly.  
'What was that game you were going to tell me about before you were called away?' Myron asked, sliding off the sandbags to sit on the ground.  
'Oh, most and least. You name someone in my unit and I've got to think of the guys in your unit most and least like the guy you named. We play it back home a lot.' Slash explained, setting beside Myron comfortably.  
'So if I was to say Braidy…' Myron grinned, remembering the soft spoken white with a certain fondness and hoped he was doing okay.  
'Most like…Horn since they both didn't like fighting. Least like…Percell for much the same reason but also because Braidy isn't a fan of the country lifestyle, he prefers the big city. My turn…Anderson.' Slash smirked, seeing Myron wince just a little as he tried to think of the mouse most like his unique Sergeant.  
'Most like…Blade. They both say what they think and will stand up for their men, no matter what. Least like…Emission. Zeke has a nasty habit of jumping in where angels fear to tread. Okay…Revs.' Myron countered, putting a lot of thought into the game but seeing the true potential of the activity. It was making him think about who would and wouldn't work well together out in the boonies.  
'That's easy. Most like Randy and least like you. Both medics but even though he's a section head and so a leader, Revs doesn't hide behind his position. Look at him now, he's in doing what officers just don't do normally.' Slash replied, pointing over to where Revs was burning the latrines without complaint.  
'Okay, I deserved that. But then, I haven't seen you on latrine duty before either.' Myron nodded, relaxed and content to sit and enjoy the quiet moment.  
'Maybe not here but I took my turn at Ladybird. Blade called it a character building exercise and I had to agree with that. I've got a lot more respect for the guys after going through what they went through.' Slash chuckled, butting his cigarette out and shoving the butt into the sandbag wall behind them.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hearing the kerfuffle from over near the weights equipment, Emily and Zeke left their throwing lesson and jogged over to see what was going on. Slipping into the group, they were quite surprised to find Myron and Slash going at it in the ring, bare to the waist and looking like they were having an absolute ball.  
'First mud wrestling and now a proper sparring ring, these guys are making Vietnam home alright.' Emily grinned, looking around and spotting a worthy challenger in the crowd.  
'How do I get in on the action?' Zeke asked, looking forward to a little bit of physical training against someone who would hopefully provide a challenge.  
'Looks like Black's in charge of the matches. Go tell him you want in and select your first opponent.' Emily replied, making her way through the crowd to put her name down for a turn.

Bounded in by the hastily constructed rope lines, the two Lieutenants eased to their feet and circled slowly, panting for breath. Then Myron moved again, ducking under Slash's arms and taking him to the ground again. Rolling slightly, Slash managed to grab Myron's ankles in his tail and flip him clear before flipping to his feet and wiping the blood from his nose.  
'Come on LT, get him!' Taylor called, taking bets on the outcome.  
'Take him down bro!' Tank countered, glaring at Taylor and watching as he handed the money back and closed the books quickly.

Circling again, Slash spun and wrapped his left arm around Myron's neck before he grabbed Myron's right arm in his and put strain on his shoulder. Biting back a cry, Myron snapped his head back and felt the impact against Slash's long nose. Stumbling back, Slash shook his head to clear it before tackling Myron again, rolling over and over in the dirt until Myron got the top position again and planted his right hand firmly against Slash's throat, adding just enough pressure for it to be a warning.  
'I know when I'm beaten.' Slash gasped, releasing his grip on Myron and laying there on the ground in defeat.  
'This round goes to Goldman!' Black called, climbing down from his perch and entering the ring. Myron eased to his feet and helped Slash up amid the cheers, still a little amazed he'd beaten the mouse. 'Up next we've got Kawasaki and Anderson!' Black continued, holding Myron's hand high for a moment before leaving the ring again.  
'Well played Myron, you're really getting the hang of this now.' Slash grinned, climbing down from the ring and spitting out a mouthful of blood.  
'I had a good teacher. Come on, there's a bottle of whiskey with our names on it over this way.' Myron chuckled, grabbing their gear and walking away with Slash at his side.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Eyes closed in contentment, Myron tipped his face up into the water and sighed, enjoying the feeling of hot water of his aching body.  
'Hey LT.' Emily greeted, turning on the water and slinging her towel over the wall.  
'Heard you put Percell on his ass in the ring today Em.' Myron grinned, shaking the water out of his eyes.  
'Considering I usually spar against guys like Falcon or Braid, it really wasn't that difficult to put Danny down hard. He's got the strength for a good wrestling match but he's more concerned about doing the wrong thing towards me to really have a good go.' Emily shrugged, glancing up as McKay joined the shower line.  
'I thought we cleared the air on that one. You might be a taken woman but you've made it clear that accidental touches during training are forgivable.' Myron sighed, wondering if that lesson would need to be taught again.  
'I think it's more that he doesn't want to disrespect Rusty.' Emily suggested, well aware of the way Johnny was staring at her.  
'We all had a lot of respect for him, it's hard to see Captain Wallace as a civilian. He gave almost everything to the army.' Myron agreed, smirking at the way Johnny's gaze snapped away from Emily when he realised she was dating a Captain back in the world.  
'Doesn't mean things have to change among the guys. I don't see why the simple fact I'm dating Rusty should make the guys nervous about touching me. It's training, pure and simple as that.' Emily nodded, reaching over to scrub Myron's back where he just couldn't reach.  
'We know how possessive Rusty is of you. No one here wants to get flattened by an angry Captain because we did something inappropriate to his lady.' Slash weighed in, slipping past McKay to take the shower on Myron's other side.  
'He knows Em is openly affectionate with the guys. He gets the fact that she has to be more than just a Staff Sergeant here. She's a confidant, guide, councillor, friend, companion and soldier in one neat package. The fact Emily has Rusty waiting for her back home changes nothing. She can still be all those things without being unfaithful to her beloved Captain. It's just like Christine when she was here. She's happily married but still sat there and was a rock for you when you were down LT. Braid didn't flatten you for daring to hug his wife like that. Rusty and Em are the same, he'll only get nasty if someone tries to take her from him.' Zeke offered, not caring he was surrounded by mostly officers as he joined the group in the showers.


	14. Hard Stripe

Sighing softly, Slash rolled over on his bunk and looked at Myron as he dropped his gear off and shed his shirt.  
'You know I can put up with a lot Myron but do you mind? I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and had a rough mission out there today.' he groaned, ears flattening against his head.  
'Sorry Slash, didn't mean to wake you. You're not the only one who had a shit of a day. I think I got my guys in over their heads today. We picked Doyle up in the bush with a load of Russian rifles. We got attacked by Montagnards on the way out and now I can't get any bloody answers. Doyle claims the rifles are destined for Intel but I don't think that's right.' Myron explained, kicking off his boots and setting them beside his bed before sinking down.  
'Smells like a set up to me. I just hope we don't lose anymore people to this fucker before we can get rid of him. Emily got to meet him yesterday; he tried to recruit her to his side. But I'm confident he never realised the gender difference.' Slash nodded, sitting up and pulling the whiskey bottle out of his footlocker.  
'You know me too well Slash.' Myron chuckled, turning his glass over.  
'Ah, we all need a stiff drink once in a while.' Slash shrugged, pouring them both a long drink and putting the bottle away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Perched in the door beside Myron, Slash kept watch for enemy troops as Myron held his camera ready, wanting more information about this mess with Doyle.  
'Myron, get your camera ready.' Duffy called, bringing the chopper around.  
'That's the biggest hootch I ever saw.' Myron replied, taking a photo and winding the film along.  
'It's not a hootch, it's for storage.' Duffy corrected, scanning the area in front of them.  
'You think that's where they store the opium?' Myron asked, grabbing another shot.  
'Either that or the family station wagons.' Slash grinned, his sharp ears picking up the transmission inside Myron's helmet.  
'Look, this is real close to where I found Doyle. Why don't you take me back around again, alright?' Myron nodded, glancing at Slash.  
'I'll have to charge you extra.' Duffy replied, a warm smile on his face as he eased the bird around again.  
'Hey! VC! VC!' Slash called, spotting the three men on the ground.

Ducking back to avoid the gunfire, Slash was in the perfect position to assist when the co-pilot was shot.  
'Chief! They got Crocker, they got Crocker. Get him off the cyclic! He's jammed on the cyclic.' Duffy called, battling to keep the chopper in the air. Lunging forward, Slash released the harness holding the downed man in place and dragged him clear with help from the crew chief.  
'Damn it Myron, you're gonna get me killed one of these days!' Slash called, glancing at Goldman as the crew chief went down too.  
'Duffy! The chief's hit!' Myron howled, starting to worry they weren't gonna make it out alive.  
'Ugh. I'm hit, I'm hit!' Duffy groaned, slumping forward.  
'Aw hell, now we're really boned.' Slash groaned, moving forward to ease Duffy back again.  
'Duffy!' Myron yelled, scrambling forward to check on the pilot.  
'I'm losing it. I'm losing it!' Duffy warned, trying to hold the chopper steady.

Glancing at Slash for a second, Myron bolted forward and dropped into the empty chair, buckling up and yanking the helmet on.  
'You gotta help me Slash. I can't fly this thing alone.' Myron called, looking back at his friend.  
'Don't look at me; I never took Em up on the flying lessons.' Slash replied with a shrug.  
'Oh great, just great.' Myron groaned, thinking fast to come up with a new plan.

#$~$#@#$~$#

'Em, Em, we need you in operations! It's an emergency. The LT's are in trouble!' Speed called, darting out of the building.  
'Right with ya Speed.' Emily nodded, spinning and bolting inside with him.

Sliding up behind the radio operator, Emily listened to the report coming in from the chopper Myron and Slash were on and she didn't like what she was hearing.  
'Duffy's unconscious and the co-pilot's dead. Look, I'm in the seat, I'm holding the cyclic. What the hell do I do?' Myron asked, absolutely scared out of his mind.  
'Give me the radio, I can get him down safely.' Emily nodded, taking the mic and closing her eyes for a moment.  
'Alright, hold the cyclic steady Myron. It's Em here over.' she soothed, just hoping no one would distract her.  
'Alright, I read ya, I read ya.' Myron replied, close to panic but still hanging in there.  
'Just keep the cyclic steady and come down easy on the collective. You gotta get the aircraft level.' Emily instructed, covering the mic and turning to Carbon. 'Go get our Sergeants, fast as you can.'  
'You got it Em.' Carbon nodded, turning and bolting from the room.  
'Alright, down easy, down easy.' Myron confirmed, calming down now that he had support to get back on solid ground.  
'You can do this Myron, you've been in that seat before.' Emily coaxed, the controls of the Huey coming up behind her closed eyes.  
'Yeah but McKay was flying the damn thing.' Myron countered, still sounding a little worried but he was calming with every moment.  
'Don't worry about that now. I'm gonna talk you in. Just listen to my words and relax into the controls. Keep your hand light and don't get tense.' Emily grinned, nodding as Revs entered and stood ready for directions.  
'I'm listening.' Myron confirmed, totally focused on the chopper and Emily's gentle voice.  
'Just keep her straight and level. I need you to read these gauges for me. Your airspeed is the big one in front of you. On its right is the torquemeter. Right below that is the altitude. Read those to me.' Emily directed, scratching down her orders for the Sergeants on a handy slip of paper and passing it to Revs.  
'Alright; 60 knots, 45 percent torque and I think its five hundred feet altitude. I think I'm too close to the treetops.' Myron listed, panic flaring again.  
'Don't look at the ground! Listen, just keep your eyes on the horizon and your instruments.' Emily barked, instruments coming to life in her mind as she worked out the best way to bring Myron safely back to ground level.  
'I want you to get a message to Zeke. You tell him that the Montagnards were after Doyle. Tell him it had something to do with narcotics. Tell him to tell Major Darling ASAP. Do you read me?' Myron instructed, voice tight with strain.  
'Black, you heard him. Go, fast as you can.' Emily instructed, pressing the mic to her shoulder.  
'On it Em.' Black replied, bolting from the room as Carbon returned.  
'Okay, let's concentrate on flying Myron. You're doing just fine, you'll be home soon.' Emily grinned, blocking everything else out as she focused on Myron's situation.

One ear on the world outside her focus, Emily listened for the bird coming in but never let her focus be broken.  
'Leave her McKay, she's going to get him down. Right now, she's visualising the controls and can see all Myron is seeing. Let her work.' Speed warned, moving across the room.  
'My clothes are soaked and I've got cotton mouth.' Myron groused, sounding a lot more relaxed and calm now.  
'That's what we call the zactleys. That's means that your mouth tastes exactly like the bottom of your boot. It's completely normal Myron, I still get that feeling too.' Emily grinned, knowing all too well what he was talking about.  
'That's fascinating Em. Look, I think I can see the base.' Myron replied, voice tightening again.  
'Good. You wanna start cutting your power now. Now you watch the indicator, you ease down on the collective and bring the cyclic back a hair.' Emily instructed, watching her own mental instruments and making adjustments.  
'I'm doing it. Alright, I'm doing it.' Myron replied, coming up on the base.  
'Keep giving me your airspeed.' Emily coached, wanting to stay on track with Myron's chopper.  
'Forty.' Myron reported, hoping he was going to get out of this mess soon.  
'There's a big open space on the other side of the fence.' Emily nodded, altering her mental instruments and relaxing a little more.  
'I'm gonna need about as much room as I can get.' Myron replied, still not sure he could do this.  
'I don't believe that for a moment. You're going to come in and you're gonna do a shallow run on landing. That means that you're gonna skid in instead of a vertical descent okay.' Emily explained, wishing she could see Myron's angles and approach line but for now she had to trust the reports from her eyes outside.  
'Like I'm gonna argue.' Myron snapped, tension rising as he came close to touching down.  
'Alright, now you're going to have to do this by sight and touch.' Emily continued, unfazed by Myron's outburst.  
'What the hell does that mean?' Myron demanded, glancing at Slash nervously.  
'That means when your airspeed is close to zero and you're near touchdown, you have to watch the ground and you ease the collective down as it feels right. Where are you?' Emily explained, visualising the landing and hoping things didn't end badly.  
'I just cleared the trees.' Myron replied, the sound of the rotors reaching Emily's ears as Johnny left the building.  
'What's your airspeed?' Emily asked, eyes slowly opening but she kept the controls in the front of her mind in case she needed them again.  
'It's fifteen and its dropping.'  
'Pull power! Pull power!' Emily snapped, eyes snapping closed again as she realised Myron wasn't going to make the landing on the first try.

Slumping forward a little, Emily refocused on the controls in her mind and sighed softly.  
'Okay, just relax. We're gonna try this again. You're gonna have to cut your airspeed earlier this time. Start now. You're gonna feel it try and yaw to the right.' Emily nodded, sitting up and shuffling a little until she was back in her mental bird properly.  
'Yeah, yeah, I feel it.' Myron replied, relaxing into the position again.  
'Real easy, just a touch of left pedal. That'll keep you level. Where are you?' Emily asked, looking to put a visual reference in front of her eyes.  
'I'm coming up on the spot!' Myron reported, comforted by something Emily couldn't make out.  
'Airspeed?'  
'It's fifteen and still dropping.'  
'Okay, down easy on the collective.' Emily grinned, feeling the connection and knowing she had it right this time.  
'Okay, okay.' Myron replied, easing in closer to the base.  
'Sight and touch Myron, this is it.' Emily offered, lowering the handset and waiting.

Eyes squeezed shut, Slash hunkered behind Duffy's seat and prayed as he felt the chopper swing around a couple times before bouncing five times and finally coming to a rest.  
'Are we safe?' he asked, lifting his head.  
'We're down and safe.' Myron replied, unbuckling his harness and turning to look at his friend.  
'Ha, you did it Myron. You fucking did it!' Slash called, climbing out and sinking to his knees.  
'Yeah, I did.' Myron grinned, opening the door and jumping down. Yanking the flight helmet off, Myron let it fall and sunk to the ground, leaning against the nose of the bird.  
'Nice work bro.' Slash praised, crawling over to slump beside Myron.  
'I'm on the ground.' Myron called, sagging even more.

Neither Lieutenant looked up as Emily sprinted across the ground and jumped into the chopper, cutting the engines and waiting a moment for the rotors to slow before jumping down and kneeling in front of her friends.  
'I'm so proud of you Myron. It takes a special kind of person to get behind the controls of a chopper with no training and no clue. You did an amazing job, so amazing.' she praised, taking his hands for a moment before pulling him into a hug.  
'Couldn't let Slash go home in a body bag, he's my bro. I'm just glad you were there Em. Couldn't have done it without you.' Myron replied, head landing heavily on her shoulder.  
'Come on now Myron, let's get you tucked up safely in your rack. You've had a hell of a day.' Emily grinned, shuffling back and hauling Myron to his feet.  
'Did you mean what you said about the zactleys?' Myron asked, leaning heavily on Emily and Slash as the walked away.  
'Yep, still gets me every time I got up. Usually goes by the second hour of flight but that's not the point.' Emily nodded, keeping a firm grip on Myron's belt as he sagged, mentally and physically drained after his escapades in the chopper.  
'Not now McKay, Myron needs to rest.' Slash broke in, spotting the chopper jock hustling over.  
'Hey, just wanted to say well done.' Johnny offered, backing off at the look in Slash's eyes.  
'Thanks Johnny.' Myron uttered, lifting his head a little.  
'come on, bed time for this LT.' Emily nodded, free hand locked around Myron's wrist as they walked away slowly, Myron's feet practically dragging as he half dozed in their arms.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Carrying Myron into his hootch, Emily and Slash carefully eased Myron onto his bunk and set to making him comfortable. Emily gently removed Myron's boots and set them neatly to hand as Slash worked the holster for his pistol free and set it on the desk.  
'I can undress myself.' Myron muttered, sitting up a little.  
'Shhh, lay back and rest. Let us take care of you.' Emily soothed, coming up and sitting on the edge of his rack, lightly carding her fingers through his hair.  
'Everyone needs someone to take care of them occasionally, even Lieutenants.' Slash added, moving to keep watch as Emily helped Myron out of his over shirt before lighting him a cigarette.  
'Even this feels too far off the ground.' Myron snorted, taking the offered cigarette and trying to relax as he drew the smoke into his lungs.  
'Yeah, I know how that feels. You were a good stick out there today Myron. You saved Duffy's life, Slash's too. You should be proud.' Emily grinned, trusting Slash to warn her before she risked too much as she kept soothing Myron with gentle touches.  
'I'll settle for being lucky.' Myron replied, eyes drooping a little more as he enjoyed the moment and tender contact. 'Thanks for being there.  
'Anytime Myron, anytime at all. I will to anything to make sure you make it home safe.' Emily promised, smiling softly as Myron sank back onto the bed comfortably.  
'Are you hungry Myron? I can probably get Cosmo and Crash to make you up something.' Slash offered, glancing over his shoulder.  
'No, thanks. I…think my stomach's been through enough for one day.' Myron replied, managing a tired smile in Slash's direction.  
'Fair call bro, fair call.' Slash grinned, going back to keeping watch.

Sitting up a few minutes later, Myron eased to his feet and padded across the room to grab his whiskey and pour himself a drink.  
'Here comes Anderson.' Slash called softly, moving away to pull out another two glasses before ushering Myron over to sit down.  
'Right on time as always.' Emily chuckled, settling on the floor and waiting.  
'Yeah, c'mon.' Myron called as the inevitable knock rang out and Zeke entered. 'Grab a chair.'  
'Hey Zeke, join the party.' Emily added, glancing at Slash with a grin. Zeke walked over and grabbed the other chair, spinning it around before straddling it and folding his arms over the back comfortably.  
'Well I guess we all have a decent reason to have a drink for a change.' Zeke commented, looking around at his friends as Myron opened the bottle again. His hands were shaking so badly that the bottle rattled loudly against the glass.  
'Here, let me.' Emily uttered, rising to her knees and taking the bottle lightly before pouring them all a drink.  
'Learning to fly a chopper is enough for one day. This business about Doyle makes me sick.' Myron sighed, resting one hand gratefully on Emily's shoulder.  
'Yeah, well believe it or not but he used to be a good soldier.' Zeke replied, picking up his glass.  
'Just so long as he's not snooping around here anymore. That guy gave me the creeps and had me on alert. I wasn't about to let him know I'm not like everyone else.' Emily sighed, putting the lid back on the bottle and sinking back to the floor.  
'You know, I used to think that war was a pretty orderly process - us against them. But this is nuts. It's one thing fighting an enemy you can't even see, it's a whole other thing when it's one of your own.' Myron sighed, shaking his head slowly as he cradled his glass in his hands.  
'Welcome to our world.' Slash uttered, looking at Emily sadly.  
'Sometimes I guess I don't know what all this means.' Myron continued, knowing full well what Slash meant.  
'Sure you do LT. It don't mean nothin'.' Emily and Zeke replied, earning a soft laugh from their Lieutenants.  
'To nothin'.' Myron toasted, lifting his glass for a moment. Smiling warmly, Emily sipped her drink, enjoying the feel of it burning a path down to her belly.

Shaking his head slowly, Slash lowered his glass and walked over to plop down beside Myron, giving him a sharp nudge with his shoulder.  
'I meant what I said up there Myron. You are gonna get me killed one of these days.' he sighed, catching the look of surprise on Zeke's face.  
'Something wrong Zeke?' Emily asked, tapping Zeke's knee lightly.  
'Yeah, I obviously missed somethin'. Lieutenant McKay told me LT landed a chopper with help. He didn't tell me Slash was onboard too.' Zeke replied, his respect for the young mouse growing.  
'I guess he didn't tell you who talked me down either.' Myron grinned, sipping his drink.  
'No but I figured it was Lieutenant McKay.' Zeke shrugged, not seeing the point in Myron's comment.  
'Not even close. McKay stuck his head in briefly but Speed intervened before he could interrupt. I talked Myron down safely.' Emily corrected, not really surprised McKay was only telling half the story to people.  
'Ohh, that had to tick Lieutenant McKay off somethin' bad.' Zeke grinned, understanding dawning on him.  
'So how'd you do it Em?' Myron asked, curious as to how Emily had managed to talk him down so calmly and without a single serious issue.  
'Simple really. I know the cockpit of a Huey extremely well and have memorised the layout of all the controls. I closed my eyes and pictured myself at the controls, adjusting my dials to match what yours said and telling you what needed to be done. That's why I kept asking for your airspeed, altitude and location, so I could keep my mental simulation up to date with what you were seeing for real. I was as close as possible to sitting right next to you. As soon as you gave me your last airspeed reading before the aborted landing, I knew even I couldn't make the landing safely so called for the abort and second attempt.' Emily explained, comfortable with telling it how it was around her closest friends.  
'When we get home, I am so taking you up on those flying lessons. I'm not gonna be caught out like that again.' Slash promised, reaching over Myron to ruffle Emily's hair.  
'Home…what a sweet thought.' Emily sighed, a soft, happy smile crossing her face as she thought of the sweet man waiting back there for her.  
'Dreaming of your soldier boy?' Myron teased, giving Em a gentle nudge with one leg.  
'Soldier man more like it.' Slash sniggered, looking at the dazed grin firmly settled on Emily's relaxed face.  
'Ah, get bent the pair of ya.' Emily growled, but the twinkle in her eyes kept the mood light and happy all round.  
'I already am, you know that Em.' Slash goaded, causing Myron to choke on his drink.  
'Breathe Myron, breathe.' Emily coaxed, getting up and smacking Myron between the shoulders a couple times.  
'Do I even want to know?' Zeke asked, looking at Slash in disbelief.  
'Who'll be the death of who here Slash?' Myron managed, still trying to clear his lungs.  
'What do you reckon Em?' Slash asked, turning to Emily for guidance.  
'I'd say you're safe Slash but it's not my call. If you want to tell them, go ahead but remember, it's not as well accepted here as back home.' Emily shrugged, returning to her spot on the floor now that Myron had stopped coughing and spluttering. Slash nodded and stood, pulling Emily to her feet and wrapping her in a loving hug.

Pulling back slowly, Emily looked at her watch and swore softly.  
'Zeke and I have to go or we'll be in deep trouble. Bed check is in ten minutes.' Emily grinned, getting up and giving Slash a warm hug.  
'It's okay Em, I can handle it now. You and Zeke get on outta here, I'm okay.' Slash replied, settling on his bunk and unlacing his boots.  
'We'll talk tomorrow LT.' Zeke grinned, talking to both his friends before he followed Emily into the darkness.


	15. Confessions & Chaos

Slouched on his rack, Slash turned the problem over in his mind again before looking over to where Myron was stripping and cleaning his rifle.  
'Hey Myron, can I talk to you about something?' he asked, sitting up a little more.  
'Sure, what's on your mind?' Myron nodded, looking up from his rifle for a moment.  
'Not here man, it's not safe. Anyone could walk by and hear us.' Slash sighed, knowing how badly this could go down.  
'I can probably get us a couple passes into Saigon but those are your choices.' Myron offered, putting his rifle back together and getting to his feet.  
'Less chance of anyone overhearing us in Saigon. I can get something for Bonfire while we're there.' Slash grinned, securing his pistol over his chest and following Myron from their hootch.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Looking around the bustling city, Slash smiled softly and relaxed a little as he drank in the sights and smells.  
'This place could almost be home. Briar Rose or Brimstone City both used to be a lot like this.' he sighed, following Myron towards the bazaar.  
'So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?' Myron asked, also browsing for a gift.  
'Well, I'm sure you remember how close I was to Bonfire before the first group got sent home. There's a lot more to that than meets the eye.' Slash tried, stopping a looking at some beautiful beaded necklaces for a moment before walking on.  
'I figured there had to be something. You two were unstoppable when you put your heads together.' Myron nodded, smiling softly at two little girls as they ran past.  
'We're more than friends. I guess you could say we're fuck buddies if you wanted to trivialise our relationship.' Slash shrugged, keeping his voice down as they walked.  
'Fuck…oh. Oohh, right. Okay, so you and Bonfire.' Myron's eyes blow wide as the realisation sunk in hard.  
'Yeah, seven years now. Em said it would be good for all of us like that to keep our mouths shut. Things like that aren't as well accepted here as back home.' Slash confirmed, admiring some lovely paintings before moving on, still searching for the perfect gift.

They walked in silence for a while, stopping to look at various stalls and buying a few little things for their friends back in the world.  
'So…what's that kind of relationship like? Must be hard to be so far apart?' Myron finally asked, finding it easier to handle this new information when he thought to if as a cultural difference.  
'Yeah, it is really hard but we manage. It's all about the little things really. A letter here, a care package there. All those details that make me think about the joy we're gonna share the moment I get home. We'll renew our bretzra and all will be okay again.' Slash grinned, finding the perfect gift for his beloved and laying his money down before pocketing the gift.  
'I remember Revs saying Fog's came up around Tet. I never heard if he did or didn't go through with it.' Myron sighed, eyeing off another stall before finding just what he wanted.  
'His chosen ain't here anymore so he couldn't go through with his bretzra. Once we get home, I know he will, so long as Fang hasn't decided to kick him to the curb.' Slash shrugged, praying such a thing wouldn't happen.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Back at base, Center Line and Tank stood shoulder to shoulder and looked out over what they had created in an unused corner of the base. It had taken a bit of scrounging and begging but finally they had a baseball diamond set up for a few games.  
'What have you…nice; I love a good game of baseball.' Zeke grinned, stopping and looking at what had been done.  
'Well then, jump right in. we've got all we need to have a good time.' Tank chuckled, grabbing a bat and ball from the pile of equipment nearby.  
'Hey, don't forget us.' Emily called, running over with Percell and Ruiz.  
'We're just gonna have a bit of a muck around Em, no one's had any time to practise.' Center Line shrugged, grabbing a glove and heading onto the field.  
'Yeah but we know how it's done.' Emily nodded, turning and putting out a loud whistle before grabbing a glove and moving to second base.

Within minutes the guys from 14 had gathered around, bringing their friends from Goldman's platoon along with them.  
'Batter up!' Cosmo hollered, kitting up and running down to play catcher.  
'Hey, there's too many players on the field!' Zeke called, doing a quick headcount of fielders out in the outfield.  
'We're playing our rules Zeke. We don't bother with all the rules set down in the book, we play our way. We've got too many for a proper game so we just spread out and have a crack at the ball. Why else do you think we use a double base system? Six bases to run instead of three.' Plate explained, scuffing at the pitcher's mound before letting fly a blazing throw.

Hefting his bat, Tank let rip, sending the ball rocketing back into the field until Decal vaulted off Center Line's back and snagged it, bolting it back into base.  
'I reckon I can do that.' Zeke nodded, grabbing the bat and moving up, his battered helmet snugged down comfortably.  
'Give him a real zinger bro!' Cosmo grinned, glove up and ready.  
'Nah, I'll take his fucking head off if I try that. Gotta treat the newbies gentle.' Plate replied, winding up and letting fly. Eyes on the ball, Zeke let go with the bat, the solid connection sending a powerful ripple up his arms as he dropped the bat and bolted, managing to steal a double before the ball made it back to the diamond.  
'Whoa, maybe not. Maybe I should be worried about him trying to take my bloody head off.' Plate added, glancing at Zeke before winding up and letting fly at Shard.

Backing up a little, Percell caught the ball and belted it back into the basemen, grinning softly as he got Zeke out before the ball shot across the field and Decal was caught short too.  
'Have another go Zeke, you're a fine batsman.' Tank called, lobbing the ball back to Plate.  
'I'll try and avoid ya this time Plate.' Zeke grinned, grabbing the bat and lining up against the taller khaki mouse.  
'If you can hit this one Zeke.' Plate smirked, winding up and letting free one of his most powerful throws. Everyone heard the thwack of ball meeting bat and turned to watch the ball rocket away.  
'It's outta here! My god, I've never seen anything like that.' Emission called, giving up his attempt to catch the ball.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Just returning from their trip to Saigon, Myron and Slash got the fright of their lives as something slammed down onto the bonnet of the jeep, disabling the vehicle in the gate.  
'What the fuck was that?' Myron asked, cutting the engine and jumping out.  
'More importantly, are you okay?' Slash corrected, hurrying over to Myron's side.  
'Yeah, I'm okay just a little dazed.' Myron nodded, looking up at the sky for a moment before turning back to the jeep.  
'Sir, it appears you were attacked…by a baseball.' one the of MP's offered, holding out the offending ball.  
'Where the hell did that come from?' Slash asked, taking the ball and looking at Myron.  
'That way Sir.' another MP replied, pointing across the base.  
'Come on, we'd better go see what's going on.' Myron sighed, helping push the damaged jeep out of the way before jogging off with Slash as the MPs called in the damaged jeep.

Rounding the last corner, Slash chuckled and hefted the slightly flattened ball before letting rip and watching as it shot across the diamond. Bang on target as always, the shot clipped Plate's helmet at speed and dropped him to the ground.  
'What was that for LT?' Zeke asked, skidding into fifth base before Thunder could tag him.  
'Without knowing who hit that ball at us, I did the next best thing. Plate is the only guy who can pitch a ball with that kind of power.' Slash replied, looking around the group slowly and waiting for the batter to be called out.  
'So that's where it landed. Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean to hurt anyone.' Zeke offered, getting in before someone else handed him in for such a stunt.  
'Thankfully you missed us and got the jeep but talk about a fright. You did kill the jeep though, damn thing just died.' Myron nodded, glancing at Slash quickly.  
'Well then, that's alright. The odd scare helps keep you awake, nothing wrong with that.' Emily grinned, turning and sprinting in the other direction before anyone could stop her.  
'You're going down Em!' Slash howled, patting Myron on the shoulder before tearing after the cheeky woman.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Backed in a corner with nowhere to run, Emily turned and faced Slash, wiping the sweat from her eyes before throwing back her head and whistling long, loud and high.  
'What? Oh no fair Em!' Slash yelped, spinning and darting off with two black and tans blurs soon taking up the chase.  
'All's fair in love and war Slash.' Emily grinned, jogging along slowly behind her boys as they took up the chase.

Swearing violently, Slash sprinted past the guys as the dogs kept gaining, barking and weaving after their target.  
'And that's why I leave Em well alone.' Myron smirked, glancing at Zeke.  
'Makes sense to me. Run LT, run!' Zeke agreed, remembering the last time he'd seen an officer attempt to outrun Emily's loyal dogs.  
'Come on bro, faster!' Tank grinned, thoroughly enjoying the show.  
'This is better than any baseball game.' Percell nodded, leaning on Crash's shoulder lightly.  
'He'll never outrun them, no one can.' Shard commented, wondering if he'd need to patch his friend up after this one.  
'Call them off Em, I'm sorry.' Slash near begged, turning sharply and slipping.  
'Enough boys, he's down!' Emily instructed, whistling for the dogs to fall back.  
'You okay bro?' Scorpion asked, jogging over as Slash sat up and rubbed his face.  
'Yeah, nothing to worry about bro. I just hope…yep, it's still intact.' Slash replied, pulling the beaded necklace out of his pocket and checking it over carefully for damage before putting it away again.


	16. Doc Hock

Nursing a bullet wound to her arm, Emily sat beside Slash as he recovered from their last battle in the safety of the dispensary.  
'Well LT, that's three sapper attacks in four days.' Zeke sighed, straddling the chair at Myron's bedside across the walkway.  
'And four bicycle bombs in a week.' Slash replied, lifting his head and glancing over his shoulder. He didn't like having his back to the walkway but until the shrapnel grazes healed, he didn't have a choice.   
'You think something's up?' Myron asked, shifting a little as he tried to get comfortable.  
'I wouldn't doubt it.' Emily sighed, glancing among her friends. 'How's the leg?'  
'It's better. They want me to stay off it for about a week.' Myron replied, clearly hating the idea of sitting out while his men put their butts on the line.  
'So stay off it for a week. The war can get along without you for a few days.' Slash grinned, settling back down and trying to relax.  
'Well it may have to get along without me for good. I've been doing some thinking. Think I'm gonna take a job in intelligence for the rest of my tour.' Myron admitted, trying not to look at the hurt in Emily's eyes.  
'That's a good decision. You've done your time out here.' Zeke nodded, hiding his hurt deep inside with so much more.

Their friendly conversation was interrupted by a sharp knock and the appearance of Alex Devlin in the door.  
'Hi. Should I come back?' she asked, smiling softly at Myron.  
'Uh, no, no. Come on in Miss Devlin.' Zeke replied, glancing at Emily. 'We were about finished here. I'll talk to you later.' he added, winking at Myron as he stood and walked away.  
'Bad timing?' Alex asked, walking over to sit at Myron's side.  
'Story of our relationship.' Myron grinned, sitting up and turning to face her.  
'He looked sort of shell shocked. What's the matter with him?' Alex asked, perching on the bed comfortably and getting nice and close to Myron.  
'I just told him I was taking the job at S2.' Myron replied, blocking out Emily and Slash as he sat there with Alex.  
'Good. Good. I for one am glad you're out of the field.' Alex replied, getting a little closer.  
'Ah, what is that?' Myron asked, attention caught by the black bundle in her hand.

Across the room, Emily watched them from under her hat and snarled, hating what she was witnessing and wondering how long it would be before Myron wound up with a broken heart again. Sighing softly, she sagged back and laid one hand on Slash's shoulder, careful of his injuries as she touched him.  
'What am I missing?' Slash asked softly, turning to look at Emily.  
'She just gave him a walking stick and now they're making out like teens at a drive in. Typical lovey-dovey stuff but you know how I feel about Myron and dating.' Emily whispered, voice pitched to keep Myron oblivious to the conversation but Slash could still hear every word.  
'Oh god, not another round of heart shatter. I don't think he's going to survive too much more of this.' Slash uttered, settling down a bit more as he listened to the conversation behind him.  
'And there's the kicker.' Emily sighed, reading the well hidden pain in Myron's voice as he responded to Alex and her change of posting.  
'It's on your shoulders this time Em. Chris isn't here to pull him back together.' Slash groaned, hiding his face in his pillow.  
'I hear ya there Slash. I can do it though, you know I can. After all, Myron trusts me with his life.' Emily nodded, thoughts flickering back to the Huey incident.  
'Seriously, how much can she dump on his shoulders?' Slash asked, tail flicking at the timeline he now knew was on the relationship between Devlin and Myron.  
'Block your ears Slash, let them have this moment without too much interruption. Shh, I'll keep you informed of the situation.' Emily grinned, flicking his left ear lightly.  
'Okay, okay. Just let me know if anything interesting happens.' Slash agreed, getting comfortable and folding his ears down so he didn't hear all of what was said.

Shuffling a little in her chair, Emily kept watch over Slash and Myron without a sound, listening and memorising all the vital details she might need to pull Myron back together after this one went bad like her instincts told her would inevitably happen.  
'Lieutenant Goldman, time for change and bath.' nurse Pritchard called, rolling her trolley over to his bedside.  
'Oh here we go, this should be interesting.' Emily smirked, tipping her hat back a little and enjoying a brief stretch.  
'Could you give me about ten minutes? We're talking here.' Myron asked, not wanting Alex to leave just yet.  
'What am I missing?' Slash asked, lifting his head a little.  
'No Lieutenant. In case you hadn't heard, we have schedules maintain. Down.' Prichard replied, starting to tug on his bedding.  
'Not sure yet but it should be good.' Emily replied, adjusting Slash's pillows and propping up a small mirror so he could see what was going on.  
'Uh, this is important.' Myron tried, shuffling down the bed and letting out a yelp as Prichard grabbed his leg.  
'And maybe I should stop the war while I'm at it…excuse me.' Prichard continued, turning to look at Alex.  
'You're right Em, this should be interesting.' Slash grinned, adjusting the mirror a little more.  
'Uh, excuse me! Where did you learn your bedside manner? Jackhammer school?' Myron growled, temper flaring up again.  
'Listen, I'll talk to you later tonight.' Alex nodded, heading for the door.  
'No, wait a minute. Just…' Myron tried, reaching for Alex as Prichard prepared a needle.  
'over.' she instructed, holding up the needle. 'Over!'

Biting his lip to keep quiet, Slash held his giggles in as Myron rolled over and Prichard hoicked his skivvies up to reveal his ass.  
'Damnit Em, I've been celibate seven months. That is not helping.' he hissed, dropping his gaze quickly.  
'Oops, sorry LT.' Emily grinned, tilting the mirror to take Myron's ass out of the picture. 'That better?'  
'No…it's the only free perve I'll get for a while.' Slash sighed, hoping Myron never found out about this - unless he told Myron personally.  
'Figured that'd be the case. Look your fill bro, he won't find out from me about this.' Emily chuckled, realigning the mirror so Slash could fulfil his needs without making it obvious.  
'Just don't let Bonfire know I was reduced to this. He'd never let me live it down.' Slash groaned, pushing all thoughts of his lover aside as he admired the shapely curve of Myron's exposed ass.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Stretched out on his bunk, Windvest smiled softly as he read his letter from home for the hundredth time, imagining his younger brother's voice in his ear as his eyes ran over the sloping scrawl of Bonfire.  
'Hey newbie, tone that down a bit will ya?' Percell called, looking up from the poker game he was playing on the other side of the hootch.  
'Don't tell me you guys don't like Hendrix.' the newbie replied, turning the volume down.  
'Yeah, we just don't wanna go deaf. These ears aren't for show ya idiot.' Raider replied, looking up from his book for a moment.  
'Maybe if you had some Merle Haggard or some Johnny Cash.' Ripper grinned, not taking his eyes off the letter he was writing to Scott.  
'Or some Motown.' Taylor added, arranging his cards.  
'Oh-hoo, great. Set down amongst the Philistines.' the newbie remarked, swinging his duffel onto his rack.  
'Man, this guy is either blinder than a cave bat or dumber than a rock. Any dumb fuck can see we're Martians, not Philistines.' Speed shrugged, dealing another hand of poker to his bros.  
'Gotta be the latter, just wait til Em gets a hold of him.' Black agreed, picking up his cards.  
'Hey man, I ain't no Philistino, I'm a Puerto Rican.' Ruiz shot back, turning his focus away from the game for a moment.  
'That the new dress code back in the world these days?' Taylor asked amid the laughter.  
'I get the idea the dress is the one thing he left at home.' Emission grinned, keeping his care package from Braidy tucked in close.  
'Yeah but don't forget about that necklace, look at that.' Raider sniggered, putting his book aside and rolling to his feet. 'Everyone wearing those or are you just a sissy boy?'  
'How long you guys been here anyway? I mean, don't you have any, any idea what's going on back in the states?' the newbie asked, waving one hand around airily.  
'Yeah, all those collage kids are givin' aid and comfort to the enemy.' Ruiz replied, hostility evident and undisguised in his voice.  
'Yeah, well actually, some of those guys are trying to bring ya'll back home.' he replied, putting his glasses away.  
'That'll be the day.' Black scoffed, most of his attention on the poker game in front of him.  
'Now is that why them hippy commie faggots are burnin' our flag.' Danny asked, poker game forgotten completely.  
'Well, you know if they're on the streets, they won't be in the rice paddies killin' babies.' the FNG countered, securing his bag closed.

That was the last straw for the guys and Percell snapped to his feet, ready to brain the mouthy bastard but Ruiz stopped him.  
'Percell! Come on, cool it man! Cool it! It ain't worth it!' Ruiz cried, trying to hold the taller man back from the newbie.  
'It's alright Danny, this newbie's mine!' Taylor snarled, getting to his feet and advancing.  
'Come on man, I don't want this alright.' the newbie tried, hands raised but no one was listening anymore.  
'Yeah, we'll you're gonna get it.' Taylor warned, grabbing the newbie and wrestling him out the door.

Bursting out of their hootch, Raider and the rest of the mice formed up a perimeter around the brawling men, keeping everyone else back as Taylor unloaded a can of whoop-ass on the mouthy man. Wrestling in the dirt, it became clear who the better fighter was and a few of the guys relaxed in the knowledge this newbie would be brought to heel.  
'Get him Taylor!' Black grinned, egging his friend on happily.  
'Take him down a few pegs Taylor!' Emission added, ready to jump in if it looked like the newbie would slip away from Taylor.  
'You got him Taylor, make him pay!' Ripper nodded, keeping Percell behind him with one hand and Ru's help. Dragging the long-hired prick to his feet, Taylor tackled him backwards into the jeep sitting there.  
'Hey! Hey! C'mon, c'mon.' Zeke called, barging through the line and hauling Taylor away. 'Now what in the hell is going on here? I'm talking to you Taylor.'  
'This newbie's got a bad case of flap-jaw Sarge.' Taylor replied, still ticked off but holding back.  
'Just a little difference of opinion.' the newbie offered, easing back upright.  
'Well alright then. Why don't ya'll save a little of this energy for the NVA huh? C'mon, get back on in there now. Taylor, please.' Kawasaki added, looking around at his boys until they trooped back inside with their friends.

Pushing off the jeep and heading for his rack, the newbie reached up the adjusted his necklace, pulling the peace sign back into place.  
'Hold it there soldier. What is your name?' Zeke instructed, a little on edge but not quite sure why.  
'Hockenbury, Francis Thurman.' the newbie replied, hands in his pockets.  
'Hockenbury. Well look, I'm not saying this was your fault, I'm not blaming you or anything but you are new here and I just want to tell ya. I'm not gonna let anybody new come in here and upset my men.' Zeke warned, glancing at Kawasaki standing beside him.  
'Oh gees, sorry gentlemen. I'm sorry, I didn't realise that I was supposed to be nursemaid and Chaplin to all the guys. I guess I didn't read my MOS job description quite closely enough.' Hockenbury replied, his smart-mouthed attitude royally pissing Kawasaki off.  
'You got yourself a big mouth, you know that?' Kawasaki asked, wondering just how much trouble this newbie was going to give them.  
'No kidding. I was born with it.' Hockenbury shot back, relaxed and uncaring about his attitude.  
'Well you could die with it too.' Wheelie warned, coming up on Zeke's other shoulder.  
'It's a newbie, what'd ya expect? A survivor. Heck, we all know the stats. My money is on this one being dead in a week at absolute best. If the VC don't get him, someone here probably will.' Kawasaki grinned, slipping his arm around Wheelie's shoulders and walking away.  
'Have fun Zeke, he's your problem not ours.' Wheelie called, wondering if they would ever see Zeke after his next time out into the boonies.  
'Now why don't you just get on in there and do something useful like clean your weapon.' Zeke directed, swearing vengeance on Kawasaki and Wheelie.  
'I don't carry a weapon.' Hockenbury replied, no shame in telling it like it was.  
'Oh god, no more patrols with your team Zeke. One weapon less man is a death sentence.' Fog called, patting Zeke on the shoulder before walking away quickly.  
'Thanks guys, lot a help you are.' Zeke hollered after Fog before turning his focus back to Hockenbury. 'Say what?'  
'Say since my MOS job description says I don't have to. Trust me, I did read the fine print on that one.' Hockenbury replied, looking and acting a total idiot as he stood there.  
'What is your MOS?' Zeke asked, slightly scared of finding out.  
'91-Alpha, I'm your new medic.' Hockenbury smirked slightly and turned to walk away.  
'Well then, there's someone you need to meet.' Zeke directed, left hand firm on Hockenbury's neck as he led the young newbie away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Whistling along with the radio playing in the background, Revs finished cleaning his rifle and set it beside him before turning his focus to his medkit.  
'Yo Remington, you got a minute?' Zeke called, still dragging Hockenbury along with him.  
'Always got time for you Anderson. What dumb fool mess did you get into this time?' Revs nodded, not looking up from his inventory of personal kit.  
'Got a special task for you. This is my new medic, Francis Thurman Hockenbury. I need you to break some nasty habits he's got.' Zeke explained, giving Hockenbury a shove forward.  
'Okay, that shouldn't be too hard. I'm sure I've handled guys with more attitude and bigger problems in my career. Revs grinned, finishing his inventory and writing out the list of stuff he'd need to restock before the end of the day.  
'You have no right to make me carry a weapon.' Hockenbury spat, glaring at Revs.  
'Boy, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be singing a different tune. Zeke, you're on guard duty. No one gets in or out.' Revs growled, waving his friend out before grabbing Hockenbury by the hair and forcing him to his knees.  
'You got it Revs. Just try and keep the noise down, not much I can do if this little shit screams.' Zeke replied, turning and walking out.  
'Oh don't worry about that. He won't make a sound.' Revs grinned, easily controlling the struggling medic at his feet.

Circling slowly, Revs gave the impression of complete disinterest as he looked at the kneeling man, but in reality he was cataloguing all the things that would need to be fixed before the real work could be done.  
'Well, you won't be needing that. As medical personnel, we are here to keep soldiers alive, not destroy morale with such obvious signs of being against what we're doing here.' he snarled, reaching down and snapping the peace sign from around Hockenbury's neck, flinging it carelessly aside.  
'You've got no right to do this!' Hockenbury snapped, moving to stand but Revs put him back down hard with a heavy backhand.  
'I have every right to ensure my friends make it home. You are not important to me, you are less than dirt right now. But if you are going to be around my friends, I need to know you are capable of more than running your mouth and letting good men die. I gave up a well supported post at a large hospital to be here because I know those men need people like me to put them back together. You are not fit to be called a medic…hell, you ain't even fit for cannon fodder to Charlie.' Revs growled, eyes daring Hockenbury to fight back.  
'I worked hard for my certification as a medic.' he argued, taking a knee but daring to go no further.  
'No, you spent your time dealing with simulations and theory work. How do you handle something that bleeds? Have you ever had to put your hands inside a man's chest and manually pump his heart until the rescue team arrives? Ever had to do a field amputation under heavy fire? Seen your best buddy go up in a puff of blood because he was covering your ass? What would you do if you had to choose between saving your closest friend or your superior officer? Try watching the light go out in someone's eyes because you just weren't good enough. Can you honestly say you're capable of defending your friends and keeping them safe? Would you kill to save a fellow soldier?' Revs asked, tail flicking wildly as he circled Hockenbury again.

Staring up at Revs in disbelief and horror, Hockenbury tried to think of what he would do in the situations listed.  
'No I haven't had to manually pump a heart. Field amputations weren't covered in my training. I've never seen anything go up in a puff of blood. I couldn't make that choice, both deserve to live. I can keep them alive, safe is relative in this place. No, I wouldn't kill to save a fellow soldier. I'm a conscientious objector.' he offered, realisation hitting him like a ten-ton truck.  
'Then you are not worthy of being a medic. Until you know what to do in all those situations and so many more, you are no medic. Get comfortable Hockenbury, we have a lot of ground to cover.' Revs nodded, pulling up a chair and taking a seat as Hockenbury got comfortable on the floor.

#$~$#@#$~$#

'You make sure Myron gets that gift I have for him, you know where it is.' Slash uttered, looking at Emily with a grin.  
'Count on it bro. I'll do it as soon as I can.' Emily nodded, running her fingers through his hair tenderly. Getting to her feet, Emily offered Myron a respectful nod before she switched out with Phantom and headed for the door.  
'See ya later guys.' Slash called, gaze falling back to the mirror as Myron finished dressing and grabbed the walking stick Alex had given him.  
'You'll be outta here in no time Slash.' Myron grinned, hobbling over to lay a hand on Slash's calf lightly.  
'Yeah, should be free in another day or so.' Slash nodded, libido back under control now that Myron wasn't lounging around in his skivvies.  
'Don't sweat it Slash, the guys know I'll cover their butts and command is well aware that they can't just shove another Lieutenant in with us while you recover.' Emily offered, looking back at her friends for a moment longer before slipping out of the dispensary.

Taking up another good position, she enjoyed the sun and smiled as she watched Johnson throwing the ball for Rom and Rem. Settling comfortably, she waited for Myron and kept one eye on Alex, wanting to know more before getting involved in Myron's love life.  
'Right on cue LT.' she muttered, leaning back and waiting for the show to start.

Limping out the door, Myron snuck up on Alex and sat before leaning in and gently blowing in her ear.  
'Betcha didn't think I'd survive.' he grinned, looping the stick around her neck gently.  
'You like it?' she asked, one hand wrapping around the dark stick.  
'I thought I'd give it a test run around the base before I took it downtown tonight.' Myron replied, totally enamoured with Alex.  
'Umm, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I can't make it tonight.' Alex sighed, no sign of shame or sorrow in her face.  
'Alex, it's our last night.' Myron argued, plans crashing back into reality.  
'Well no, not exactly. I'm not taking the flight in the morning.' Alex explained, taking Myron's hand gently.  
'You're staying?' he asked, perking up a little at that thought.  
'No. Just, uh, something's come up.' she offered, the lie clearly visible to Emily from where she sat and half-listened to their conversation.  
'What do you mean something's come up?' Myron sighed, hands resting on the stick. 'A story? You'll stay in town a couple extra days for a story but you won't stick around for me, is that it?' he surmised, starting to get ticked off again.  
'No, it's not like that.' Alex sighed, struggling to meet Myron's eyes.  
'Well what is it like Alex? You tell me.'  
'My editor decides when I go to Paris. He doesn't feel that my love life is important enough to postpone the flight. The story is.'

Spotting Emily, Metric slid to a stop and sat beside her, panting harshly.  
'What's wrong bro? You look like you saw a ghost.' Emily asked, laying her hands on his shoulders lightly.  
'Another group leaves tomorrow night. Black was first to mention it and we've gone around everyone to see who is going home as the base rests.' Metric explained, handing her the list.  
'Oh god, we're losing half the remaining guys. Thanks Metric, I'll let Myron and Zeke know we're going to be recombining under Myron's lead tomorrow.' Emily nodded, getting to her feet as Metric hurried away.

Stopping a respectful distance from her new LT, Emily swallowed nervously and took her hat off.  
'Myron, we have to talk now. There's been a big development in the saga of our units.' she called softly, settling into a parade rest stance.  
'Do you mind? We're talking here.' Alex snapped, turning to glare at Emily.  
'Not now Alex, this is important to me. Come on Em, we can discuss this in my hootch.' Myron corrected, easing to his feet and hobbling away.  
'Want a lift LT?' Emily asked, a warm grin on her face as she folded up the crew list and put it in her pocket.  
'What'd you have in mind?' Myron grinned, hoping Emily wasn't one of the ones leaving.  
'Put your arms over my shoulders…and up we go.' Emily chuckled, hoisting Myron onto her back and wandering off.  
'You really know how to tick Alex off, don't you?' Myron chuckled, shuffling his grip so he didn't hit Emily with his walking stick.  
'I'm just following doctor's orders Myron. You were told to stay off that leg and I'm making sure you do. If I piss Devlin off at the same time, bonus.' Emily shrugged, locking her hands under his ass and heading for his hootch.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hooking the door with the stick, Myron opened it just enough for Emily to get a foot in and kick it open before heading up the stairs, ducking just a little so she didn't smack Myron's head into the doorjamb. Crossing the room, Emily eased Myron down onto his rack and let him go before heading over to retrieve a small velvet pouch from Slash's desk.

Holding the pouch in her cupped hands, Emily sat beside Myron and sighed, not sure how to put this new revelation without hurting him too much.  
'Slash had this sent from home, it's what we call an honour ring. He had two made and when he gets a moment will have one put in to show he has given his only honour ring to someone he formed a powerful connection under fire with. While we both know you can't wear this now, hopefully one day, you will wear this with pride.' Emily explained, tipping the two earrings into her hand before putting the larger one in her pocket for later and handing Myron the smaller of the two.  
'But why me? Surely there is someone else who deserves this more than I do.' Myron asked, holding up the glittering gold hoop and noting the name engraved into the front surface.  
'Slash sees you as a true friend and respects you for all that you do. He gives you this as a personal honour, between two men. With this earring, he's showing that he is personally honoured to have known and served beside you. Slash did not make this choice lightly, he knows that by giving this to you, he is putting you upmost among all others. Each Martian can only grant the honour ring to another once and once given it cannot be taken back.' Emily grinned, just imagining how Myron would look when he wore the honour ring where it rightfully belonged.

Struck dumb by how precious a gift he'd been given, Myron stared at the small earring in wonder and amazement, not sure what else to do in that moment.  
'How can I ever repay him for this? Is there anything I should do to let him know I accept?' he finally asked, looking up from the gift in his hands.  
'Yeah but that can wait a little while Myron. We have something else to talk about first. Metric compiled this list of those going home.' Emily nodded, pulling out the page and handing it over.

Securing the earring to the chain of his tags, Myron took the page and read over the names, heart lodged firmly in his throat.  
'Twenty mice…and your boys. Wait, if Slash leaves, who takes command of your unit?' Myron asked, head snapping up at the thought of seeing 14 under a green Lieutenant.  
'Once they are gone, we will recombine under your leadership. Command knows they can't shove any old Lieutenant in with us, we won't follow anyone we don't respect. I'm sorry Myron but that's the way it has to be, there's nothing any of us can do about it.' Emily sighed, wishing things didn't have to be this way.  
'What about my plans? I was going to get out of the field and take up the position at S2.' Myron uttered, looking up from the names on the page.  
'I know Myron, but what has been set in motion can't be stopped. Who are you making that choice for, you or Alex? Think about it this way Myron; if you do wind up following the path Rusty took and coming home with us, Alex will not be joining us. She has not done enough to earn the trust and respect of 14 and that is the key to making the journey.' Emily explained, wishing there was an easier way of saying this.  
'And if I decide I want to stay with her?' Myron asked, hating the fact he might have to choose between Alex and his friends in 14.  
'From what I've heard from the guys back home, you won't have a choice. Scott was hoping to see his brother again when he left our ranks but now he knows that won't happen. Karl is gone and Scott is safe with us, getting on with life as best he can. Randy lost his parents to this situation, Rusty lost friends and family and so did Roger. I wish things hadn't turned out that way but there's nothing I can do Myron. I hate that this is happening but no one can stop things. Eventually, Zeke will have to realise the same thing. I just hope he can forgive us when he learns what he must sacrifice.' Emily uttered, getting to her feet. 'When you're ready to let Slash know you accept his honour ring, let me know.' she added, yanking the door open and leaving Myron with his troubled thoughts.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Myron was still thinking about Emily's words that night when Zeke came to see him.  
'The men are going to be alright LT. I mean, they've had replacements before you know. As I recall, you didn't exactly arrive over here seasoned and combat ready yourself.' Zeke grinned, pouring a drink and sinking onto the empty chair.  
'No, I guess not. Guess we all gotta be a cherry at some point or another.' Myron agreed, looking at the earring now securely taped to his dogtags in a small plastic bag to protect it. 'So, what about this new medic? Is he going to be a problem?'  
'Well now, that's hard to tell. Revs has been working with him all day but tomorrow brings the real test.' Zeke replied, still unaware of the second departing group.  
'Revs…is he on the list?' Myron muttered, fishing out the team list and scanning down the names quickly. 'Good, he's sticking around.'  
'What are you talking about LT?' Zeke asked, a dark feeling crossing his heart.  
'Another group of mice leaves tomorrow night…including Slash.' Myron sighed, handing over the list for Zeke's inspection.  
'But if Slash goes, who leads 14?' Zeke asked, looking up from the names all neatly written out.  
'Well, command knows they can't put another officer in charge so we'll be recombined into one unit like we were at Ladybird. Only this time, I'll stand alone at the top. It's times like this I wonder if it's all worth it.' Myron shrugged, wondering if he would ever be ready for the final journey home through time.  
'You'll be okay LT, you've still got Kawasaki, Revs, Em and me ta look after ya. We'll make sure you make it home.' Zeke grinned, trying to lighten the mood a little.  
'Yeah, there is that. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to Slash, he's become really important to me. He gave me this for when I make it home, it's called an honour ring. Apparently it's the greatest honour a Martian can give another.' Myron nodded, holding up his tags so Zeke could see the earring secured to them.  
'Well ain't that nice. What are you gonna do with it when ya get home?' Zeke asked, tilting the tags a little so he could see the fine detailing on the earring.  
'Get my ear pierced and wear it of course. I'll have to talk to Slash about which ear and location and all that since Martian earrings are a record of all the things they've done. You can tell the life story of a mouse by the earrings he wears and the SLAM rule - Size, Location, Adornments, Metal.' Myron replied, tucking the special gift away inside his shirt safely.  
'Well, I'm gonna turn in.' Zeke nodded, finishing his drink and rising.  
'Yeah, you got a big day tomorrow.' Myron agreed, also draining his glass.  
'Hell, I hope not.' Zeke grinned, heading for the door.  
'Zeke. Good luck.' Myron offered, wishing he was going out there with his men but glad he had a day to say goodbye.  
'Thank you.' Zeke replied, opening the door and heading into the night.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Waiting by the chopper for the medic, Zeke spotted Fog and tried not to choke on his heart at the thought of losing such a fine Sergeant.  
'I don't believe it. Sarge look at the newbie's belt!' Ruiz called, pointing at Hockenbury as he ran over to join them.  
'Well I'll be, looks like Revs got through to him after all.' Zeke nodded, spotting the well cared for pistol secured on the medic's belt.  
'Remember Hockenbury, don't fuck this one up. I'll personally boot your ass to the DMZ if any of by buddies are killed because you refused to act.' Revs hollered, running up and stopping beside the new medic.  
'I got it Revs, I got it. I won't let you down Revs.' Hockenbury replied, slinging his kit over one shoulder and moving for the chopper.  
'I'm more concerned about you letting the guys down.' Revs sighed, turning and jogging away.  
'I don't know how you do it Revs, but I owe ya.' Zeke grinned, slapping the side of the chopper and taking his usual spot in the door.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Making his way across the base, Myron kept thinking about what the night would bring but at the same time, he worried for his men out with Miller.  
'Hey Goldman!' McKay called, running over to the slightly irritated man.  
'Not now McKay.'  
'I don't wanna talk. Where's Alex man? What happened to her going away party?' McKay asked, pulling a bottle of fine champagne out of the bag in his hand.  
'I don't know.'  
'What do you mean you don't know? She's your girl isn't she?' McKay continued, putting the bottle away.  
'Yeh, well I'm not her keeper. Now if you don't mind, I've got a platoon full of replacements being led into Indian country by a green Lieutenant.' Myron snarled, worry coming out more now that he put his fears into words.  
'Hold on. That's Miller's platoon now, you gotta let that go.' Johnny corrected, getting in Myron's way again.  
'Alright, she missed her flight. She's on some hot story.'  
'What kinda story? Where?'  
'I don't know, she couldn't tell me.'  
'Well is it dangerous?'  
'Maybe, she couldn't tell me.'   
'And you let her go?'  
'What do you expect me to do McKay? Smack her over the head with my cane and drag her back to my hootch like a caveman?'  
'Well I don't know. Maybe if you cared.'  
'I do care about her. What would you do?'  
'I don't know. Here. It's on me. For when she gets back.' Johnny sighed, offering out the champagne bottle. 'You know, you two deserve each other. You're both crazy.' he added, clapping Myron on the shoulder before walking away.  
'Great, now I've got to think about how I'm gonna break that news to Alex.' Myron groaned, turning and heading back to his hootch to ditch the champagne until later.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sitting up slowly, Slash eased his shirt on and sat on the edge of the bed, relieved to be off his stomach at long last.  
'See, told ya you'd be outta here in no time.' Myron grinned, limping in to check on his friend.  
'Yeah, feels good to be upright again. I'm guessing Emily told you about tonight.' Slash nodded, trying not to feel bad as Emily took a knee and laced up his boots without complaint.  
'That's what I wanted to talk to you about.' Myron replied, patting his pocket lightly.  
'Sure, we can talk in our hootch. I want outta here.' Slash chuckled, easing to his feet and heading for the door.  
'Sounds like a fine plan to me. We can share a drink and enjoy our downtime.' Myron agreed, hobbling along beside his dearest friend. Emily smiled softly and left them be, knowing she had more important things to be worrying about right now.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Holding the door open for his friend, Slash took a moment to compose himself before entering and taking a set beside Myron as he poured the drinks.  
'You know I never meant for this to happen bro, it's just the way it is. I want to stay and keep an eye on my team but it's time for me to leave and see Bonfire again. It's been seven months Myron, I've earned a chance to see him again.' Slash sighed, taking the offered glass and hanging his head sadly.  
'I know Slash and I understand. It's going to be hard to keep going without you there to keep me calm and focused. I'm not trying to deny you the chance to see Bonfire again, I know how close you two are. I just don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye bro.' Myron nodded, reaching over to give Slash's shoulder a gentle squeeze.  
'You and me both bro, it's gonna be hard to get back to normal duties tomorrow.' Slash agreed, pulling a heavy looking bundle from his gear and setting it on the table.

Swallowing heavily and going back over what Splat had told him, Myron reached out and untied the bundle, revealing the piercing unit Slash had brought along before laying the large honour ring down on the table.  
'I know you can't wear yours right now Myron but at least you've got it. That is that counts. There is no one here I trust more to do this.' Slash nodded, determined to go through with it this time.  
'No time like the present huh.' Myron chuckled, turning around as Slash came around and sunk to his knees.  
'Just like Splat taught you, I know you can do this.' he uttered, gazing up at Myron as he took the piercing unit and positioned it over Slash's left ear. Adjusting the angle just a little more, he squeezed the trigger and watched as the small blade within the unit carved out the hole and a small laser cauterised the wound.

Lowering the device, Myron put it aside and picked up the earring, trying to ignore the way his hands were shaking.  
'More than brothers, more than friends. I honour you as you honour me. With this honour ring, I make our deep respect for each other known to all who look upon you.' Myron intoned, ignoring the faint smell of burnt fur on the air as he gently threaded the earring into place and snapped it closed. 'From this moment on, our lives will be inseparable and our spirits will soar together.'

Reaching up with trembling fingers, Slash lightly brushed the new earring and smiled proudly.  
'when the time comes and you are ready, I will complete the ritual and all will know.' he promised, still awed by the fact he'd actually done it this time and was now like everyone else in his unit.  
'If things turn out for me as they did for Rusty, the moment I recover from the journey. I want to wear this Slash, I want the world to know what we shared here.' Myron nodded, fingers tracing over the earring still sealed in its bag.  
'I may look a little different by that stage Myron. Now that I have started on this journey, I have seven more studs to add to my story. I can't see you doing the same thing, your ears are simply too small to tell your story.' Slash grinned, rocking to his feet and putting the piercing unit back in among his gear.  
'My eyes and my skin are my storytellers. Scarred and haunted, they will say what my ears can't. Now, on with the celebrations.' Myron nodded, pouring them both a drink.  
'Here's to a long future of friendship and fun, whatever this damn war throws at us.' Slash toasted, taking his glass and tapping it against Myron's.  
'Couldn't have put it better myself Slash.' Myron chuckled, relieved to have one last chance to sit and talk with his dear friend before fate so cruelly tore them apart.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Emerging from their hootch a few hours later, Myron and Slash were feeling pleasantly buzzed as they headed in separate directions to deal with other things that needed their attention.  
'Well look who finally managed to climb out of the bottle.' Center Line teased, arms draped around Ghost and Metric's shoulders.  
'Wouldn't surprise me if you three fall into the bottle the moment you get home and don't come out for months.' Myron batted back, still feeling a little crushed about losing so many of his friends but the knowledge that they would be reunited again gave him comfort.  
'Come on guys, quit picking on the cripple.' Wheelie called, walking over to join the group.  
'So you buying tonight LT?' Ghost asked, sniggering at the look on Myron's face.  
'Something can probably be arranged.' Myron nodded, squeezing Slash's shoulder before hobbling away.

Smiling softly, Revs and Shard watched their friends walk off together and turned away as Myron and Alex made plans for the evening before Myron walked over to greet Zeke.  
'well, can't have everything I was hoping for.' he muttered, glancing at Shard as Hockenbury jumped out and moved a few feet away from the chopper before sinking to the ground.  
'You had a good go at it Revs. Didn't you tell him not to eat right before a mission?' Shard shrugged, shaking his head as Hockenbury puked on the landing pad.  
'I did but obviously he didn't listen. Oh well, he'll learn. C'mon, we'd better go see how he did out there.' Revs sighed, pushing off the barrel he'd been leaning on and walking over to make sure his newest student was holding out against the strain of being a combat medic.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Taking his last chance to get something nice for Crimson, Wheelie wandered the streets and picked up a few things, whistling softly to himself. It was nice to enjoy a few moments of peace before going home but Wheelie couldn't shake the feeling something was going to go wrong before the sun set on his last day in country.

Looking up at the catcalls behind him, Wheelie turned and spotted Alex as she strutted down the street in a white dress.  
'No, that's not it. What's got me on edge?' he muttered, looking around again but nothing jumped out at him.  
'Alex!' turning slightly, Wheelie saw Myron leaning against a post, a warm smile on his face.  
'c'mon, what's the problem? Can't let Myron get into danger. Got to find the reason.' Wheelie mused, paying for his purchases and moving further down the street.

Then the realisation hit him but already it was too late and the bicycle bomb went off. Dropping to the ground, Wheelie heard Alex cry out and swore, now understanding why his instincts told him today was a good day to go into Saigon and keep half an eye on Myron.   
'No!' Myron screamed, getting to his feet and seeing Alex laying there covered in blood.  
'Damnit, not now. Hang in there LT, you're not alone.' Wheelie uttered, getting to his feet and looking around nervously for a moment before running over to kneel behind Myron.

Hanging his head, Wheelie lay one hand on Myron's shoulder as he gently rolled Alex over and held her as she died.  
'Oh god.' he breathed, sniffing back the tears for a moment before breaking down, clinging to the broken body of his love.  
'I'm sorry LT.' Wheelie offered, keeping people back as Myron rocked slowly, not ready to say goodbye to the woman he loved so freely.  
'Why does this keep happening to me?' Myron sobbed, lifting his head to glance at Wheelie before burying his face in Alex's hair.  
'I don't know LT, I wish I did.' Wheelie replied, wishing he knew what to do.  
'I don't need a Sergeant now Wheelie, I need a friend.' Myron uttered, tears falling freely as he tried to say goodbye.  
'That I can do Myron, you've always got one nearby. I'm here and I'm not going to abandon you.' Wheelie promised, coming around beside Myron and lightly squeezing his shoulders.  
'Thank you.' Myron nodded, sagging into the gentle companionship as he mourned Alex.  
'Anytime Myron, you're never alone.' Wheelie replied, doing all he could to share Myron's pain and help him back to his feet.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sitting alone, Myron looked at the last tangible reminder of Alex and let the tears fall as memories flashed through his mind. He became aware of someone behind him but didn't care, too lost in his pain.  
'LT? Listen, uh, I know there's nothin' anybody can say to ya right now. It's just that the men wanted me to tell ya how sorry we all are.' Zeke offered, standing there awkwardly for a few minutes longer before walking away.

Choking on the lump in his throat, Slash came up on Myron's right and eased down, one arm sliding around his shoulders.  
'I know it hurts Myron but you really shouldn't be alone right now. Everyone is worried about you but no one knows how to help. Shutting everyone out is only going to make it worse. You need to let it go before it kills what spirit is left inside.' he coaxed, pulling Myron tight against his side, heads resting together.  
'I just want the pain to go away. I don't want to feel this agony. I can't go on like this, it hurts too much.' Myron choked, hanging his head and struggling to keep quiet.  
'You need time to heal Myron and a supportive shoulder to lean on. Don't try and hold it all inside, let go. We'll be right here to put you back together.' Emily added, settling on Myron's left and sandwiching the grieving man between them.  
'I loved her so much. Why does this keep happening to me?' Myron uttered, holding his closest support tight to his sides.  
'Shhh, no more words. Just put your head down and let go. Everyone knows you're hurting, stop trying to control your emotions. Let it go Myron, just let it all go.' Emily whispered, fingers toying with Myron's hair. 'Ain't healthy to hold all that pain and torment inside, ya gotta let go Myron.'

Blinking dumbly for a moment at how closely Emily's words matched Christine's from so long ago, Myron dropped his head over onto Emily's shoulder and let go, trusting Emily to put him back together afterwards.  
'That's it Myron, just let go. I'm here, you don't have to be strong now. Don't hold anything back, you'll feel better when you've let it all go.' she uttered, rocking slowly and letting Myron hold her close, tears leaving a wet trail on her shirt.  
'Don't let me fall Em, please don't let me fall.' Myron choked, huddling in closer to her side.  
'Never Myron, I will never let you fall. You're safe with us, no matter the hell thrown in your direction. You will never stand alone anymore.' Emily promised, laying her chin on his head and squeezing him close. 'I'm here, no matter what.'  
'Look after him Em, I gotta go make sure the guys aren't getting too drunk to move into action tomorrow.' Slash sighed, giving Myron's shoulders a gentle squeeze before slipping away.  
'I'm still gonna buy the guys a round Slash, just give me some time.' Myron replied, lifting his head slowly.  
'Shhh, you just worry about dealing with your emotions. Slash can keep the guys under control.' Emily uttered, keeping Myron close as Slash turned and walked off into the deepening shadows.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Still shaken and red in the face, Myron entered the EM Club with Emily and looked around at the low faces.  
'Oh come on guys, this is supposed to be a goodbye celebration. We'll see each other again, you know that in your hearts.' he called, signalling for a round.  
'Just doesn't seem right to celebrate after what happened to Miss Devlin.' Black replied, arms around his younger brothers.  
'I'll make it my last order to some of you if I have to.' Myron warned, picking up his drink and throwing it back.  
'You heard the man. Drinks are on Myron.' Emission called, cranking up the jukebox.  
'Hey I only said I'd buy one round.' Myron argued, looking to Emily for help.  
'Sorry Myron but you made the call. I'll help with the tab though, least I can do.' Emily shrugged, grabbing a beer and moving into the mass of happy troops.  
'Oy.' Myron sighed, grabbing a refill before heading into the group.

Finding a seat and sinking down to take the strain off his wounded leg, Myron let down all his defences and got stuck into the serious act of drinking with friends from both units.  
'Who gave you the earring bro?' Cosmo asked, arm draped around Slash's shoulders.  
'No one, I gave away my honour ring.' Slash replied, turning to indicate Myron.  
'Whoa, never expected that. But then, you swore you'd never get your ears pierced.' Windvest smirked, leaning in to read the name engraved on the surface.  
'Special circumstances bro. I found a guy I could trust to do the job right.' Slash shrugged, grabbing a glass of whiskey and walking over to settle beside Myron.

Pulling something out of her pocket, Emily snuck up behind Myron and let it go. Myron jumped three feet in the air at the clicking sound just below his left ear, much to the entertainment of the troops around him.  
'Would you relax Myron, you're would tighter than a recoil spring. It's just a clip on earring where your honour ring should be hanging. Have a drink and calm down.' Zeke smirked, handing Myron a fresh glass and a towel.  
'Yeah, you're probably right. Here's to us, the best damn units to ever stand on the battlefields of Vietnam!' Myron nodded, lifting his glass high.  
'Now you're talking LT!' Taylor called, one arm slung around Daytona's neck.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Well blitzed on good booze and great friends, Myron and Slash stumbled out of the EM Club together, waving off calls to come back and finish the party.  
'Come on guys, bed time. Some of us still have to get up for duty in the morning.' Emily called, staggering a little as she scooped a mostly drunk Anderson off the floor and onto her shoulders.  
'Nigh-nigh Sister Clarissa.' Zeke mumbled, burying his face in Emily's shoulder.  
'Yup, he's blitzed. No way you could mistake Emily for a nun.' Revs laughed, ducking the sloppy punch Emily aimed his direction and falling on his ass. Sighed softly, Emily turned and made her way slowly towards the hootch she shared with Anderson.  
'You right to make it home Em?' Center Line asked, trailing them across the base.  
'Yeah I'll…oh man. You just had to take it that one step further, didn't you Anderson?' Emily groaned, the smell of fresh vomit hitting her nose.  
'Ugh, better take him home via the showers.' Center Line suggested, taking a couple steps backwards.  
'If he's not wearing it, I don't care. I need a shower right now though.' Emily snarled, dumping Zeke on the ground and storming away to grab her gear and head for the showers.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sinking onto his rack, Slash sighed and rubbing his eyes as Myron struggled with his boots before finally getting them unlaced and off.  
'Well that certainly ended today on a good note.' he grinned, wriggling out of his shirts and tossing them onto the desk.  
'Yeah, it certainly did. It's gonna be hard waking up in Chicago tomorrow.' Slash agreed, stripping off to his skivvies and climbing into bed, making sure all his gear was packed and ready to go.  
It gonna suck waking up without your help in the morning. Just hope someone is sober enough to bring me a coffee first thing.' Myron agreed, crawling under the covers.  
'Em probably will be, her ability to hold her booze is legendary.' Slash nodded, reaching out and turning his lamp off, plunging the hootch into darkness.

They lay there in silence for a while before Slash rolled over and looked at Myron sadly.  
'Something bugging you bro?' Myron asked, sitting up a little.  
'Yeah, there's something I need to tell you before I go home.' Slash nodded, getting up and walking over to sit on Myron's bed, not wanting this to be overheard.

Swallowing quickly, Slash reached up and gently removed the clip on earring still clinging to Myron's ear and tucked it under his pillow.  
'Please don't take this the wrong way but you have a great ass. I don't know whether you noticed or not but while we were in the dispensary, Emily propped a mirror up on my pillow so I could see who was coming up behind. Well that mirror showed more than just the walkway…every time the nurses came in to jab you in the butt with a needle, I got an eyeful. Em gets how hard it is for guys like me in a place like this so didn't adjust the angle when she realised. I can understand if you hate me now but I couldn't leave without coming clean with you.' Slash explained, desperate to get this weight off his chest before it was too late.

Blinking slowly in the dim light coming through from outside, Myron tried to think of how to react but for the life of him, he couldn't come up with the answer.  
'It's okay Goldman, I understand. You don't have to worry now, it won't happen again.' Slash nodded, getting to his feet and starting to walk away before Myron grabbed his wrist.  
'I won't pretend to understand your choices Slash but if I was able to make you feel a little better, I'm okay with that. I know its been hard for you to be stuck here without Bonfire and although I can never replace him, I'm happy you felt safe to trust me a fraction of how much you trust him.' Myron offered, drawing Slash back down to sit beside him.  
'If only you knew how deeply I care about you Myron. I want to share something with you…but only if you're ready for a life changing experience.' Slash grinned, turning to face Myron more.  
'This has already been a life changing experience Slash, ever since I first met you. I think I can handle one more before I have to say goodbye.' Myron replied, closing his eyes for a moment.  
'If it gets too much, just pull away. Relax and open your eyes, this will be quite the experience.' Slash coaxed, laying his hands on Myron's shoulders and leaning in. 'welcome brother, to my memories.' Slash whispered, eyes sliding closed.  
'I am ready brother.' Myron replied, following Slash's lead and closing his eyes.

The first gentle push stole Myron's breath away as Slash took him on a mental journey back to the first day they had met. Listening to Slash's private thoughts and seeing the world as he did, Myron now started to understand why he felt such a powerful connection to the brown mouse with snowy white hair. They weren't so different, apart from outward appearances. Now that Slash knew Myron was comfortable, he released the information he'd been holding back and listened as Myron gasped but didn't pull away. Now he could feel what Slash had felt and the attraction he was picking up left him reeling but feeling more treasured than ever before.

Pulling back slowly, Myron opened his eyes and blinked a few times before reaching up to wipe away the tears glistening in Slash's fur.  
'If only I could.' Slash muttered, catching Myron's hands and squeezing gently.  
'Shhh, close your eyes and think of Bonfire. It's time for you to go home.' Myron whispered, easing his hands free before drawing Slash into a tender hug.  
'I'll never forget you Myron, no matter what happens.' Slash promised, relishing the physical contact a moment longer than necessary before sliding away and getting to his feet. 'Sleep now brother, it's time for this wonderful time to end.'

Snuggling down again, Myron let the tears fall freely as he watched Slash organised his gear and sat on his bed, waiting for the pickup he knew was coming.  
'Goodbye Slash, I'll miss you every day.' Myron whispered, eyes drifting closed.  
'Sleep well Myron, we'll be reunited soon.' Slash promised, getting up and pulling the covers over Myron a little more before he collapsed and was whisked away.


	17. We Made It Home

Looking around slowly, Slash grinned and broke into a sprint; heart in his throat as he charged the familiar corridors in his skivvies. Whipping around the last corner, he slowed to a light jog and threw the door open before diving onto the bed.  
'Bonfire! My god I've missed you.' he grinned, tears falling freely as Bonfire snapped awake and stared for a moment.  
'Slash! I was so worried. Thank god you're home.' he cried, pulling Slash close and stealing a deep, passionate kiss.

Pulling back slowly, Slash ran his fingers through Bonfire's long black locks before pushing him down flat onto the bed and stealing another kiss.  
'Is this real? Are you truly home for good?' Bonfire asked, hands on Slash's ass.  
'Yeah babe, I'm home for real. Hurt like hell to say goodbye but I'll recover.' Slash nodded, rolling over and crawling under the covers.  
'Don't you ever leave me again Slash.' Bonfire begged, snuggling in behind his lover and holding him tightly.  
'Never my love. I will never leave you again.' Slash replied, fighting sleep but in the end he gave up and slipped into a peaceful darkness, clutching Bonfire's hands tight.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Lost in his shower, Fang nearly jumped out of his fur as someone wrapped their arms around him and squeezed.  
'Miss me Angel?' Fog whispered, nibbling on Fang's ear.  
'Every second of our time apart.' Fang replied, spinning around and yanking Fog tight to him, not caring about anything apart from his lover back in his arms.  
'Sorry I missed our bretzra.' Fog uttered, burying his face in Fang's neck.  
'It's okay, you're here now. We can worry about organising our bretzra tomorrow. Right now, I just want to run my hands all over you until you shine with love and care.' Fang nodded, stepping backwards and dragging his near naked lover until the water.  
'I have no complaints about that whatsoever.' Fog grinned, slipping out of his wet skivvies and pulling Fang back against his body.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Bounding down the corridor together, Rom and Rem were still in their uniforms as they sought Rusty out as per Emily's parting instructions. Rom had a special container attached to his collar, explaining Emily's absence and promising her undying love when they were finally reunited. It was a letter full of pain and frustration but also love and promises for the future.

Finding the right door, Rem slipped in first and jumped up onto the bed, tucking in against Rusty's left side and whimpering softly. Rusty stirred but didn't wake, throwing his arm over the whimpering dog. Padding over, Rom jumped up and stretched out on the other side, creeping up and poking Rusty under the chin with his cold wet nose.  
'What? I'm awake.' Rusty yelped, sitting up and reaching for the bedside lamp.

Blinking a few times to clear his eyes, he looked at the dogs and smiled, gaze drifting up for any signs of Emily. Romus whined again and lifted his head, revealing the canister secured to his collar. With shaking hands, Rusty reached out and unhooked the container before popping the end and sliding the letter out.  
'Lay down boys, its okay.' he nodded, patting the bed lightly before unfolding the letter.

Eyes drifting over Emily's neat handwriting, Rusty tried to stay positive but he could tell it would still be some time before Emily made it home to him.  
'My sweet lady, I miss you more and more each day. Come home safe, I need you in my arms.' he whispered, wiping his cheeks before folding up the letter and tucking it into the bedside table. Shuffling down, he turned the light out and got comfortable between the dogs, one hand on each furry back to keep him grounded as he slid back into the realms of dreams.

#$~$#@#$~$#

By morning, most of the happy tears had been shed but that didn't make it any easier to stand together and call the roll like they did every morning after breakfast. Those who still had family or lovers back in Nam turned away and prayed softly, holding tangible reminders close and trying not to break down.  
'Why the dogs and not Em?' Crimson asked, pressed in tight against Wheelie.  
'Why Center Line and not Raider?' Shift added, burying his face in Cosmo's chest again.  
'Why isn't everyone home now?' Blade sighed, trying to hold it together but it was a near thing.  
'I don't know. I can't give you any answers. This is what we have for now.' Slash offered, sinking onto the couch and hanging his head.  
'All we can do is pray and keep writing and sending care packages. We'll find the answer soon, all we have to do is give them a chance.' Randy sighed, looking to Rusty for help and support.  
'Emily tied a letter to Rom's collar before he left. She's got a feeling that those left behind are going to be dragged into a darker, more dangerous side of the war - SpecOps. I don't know if she's trying to calm us or really knows what's happening but I believe in her confidence. We will be reunited again, we will stand as one unit and watch the sunrise over our home.' Rusty announced, comforted greatly by the dogs leaning against his legs.  
'If that's the case, maybe the first two rounds were chosen because we can't hack it in those situations. Light colours and over height, adjusting the group so we fit with the standard unit better, testing and retesting so they know they've got the best team for the job.' Daytona suggested, one arm around Dakota's shoulders.  
'Why me and not my brothers then? We're all black, all the same.' Black asked, looking up at the large team photo on the wall.  
'Does the team really need three or four RTO's? You could have been picked to go for a number of reasons, all of which remain a mystery to us until the end.' Roger sighed, sinking down beside Black and putting an arm around him.  
'How is everyone holding up?' Christine asked, trying to steer the conversation in another direction before things really fell apart.  
'Myron's struggling at the moment but he's got Em if he needs to let it go again. He lost his girl the day we were due to leave. She was killed by a bicycle bomb outside the Bon Sai café. Poor boy just about died with her, shut everyone out and tried to deal with the emotions.' Wheelie uttered, fingers carding through Crimson's fur lightly.  
'Em's still playing rock for everyone, bouncing from one hard moment to the next. She was there when Zeke's ex-wife told him she was getting remarried. Oh and let's not forget how she taught Myron to fly. We were following a hunch and came under fire, the co-pilot was killed, as was the crew chief and the pilot badly wounded. Myron took the controls and had a near panic when I told him I didn't know how to fly. Then Em gets on the radio, calm and collected and talked him through the procedure twice until he landed it safely.' Slash added, smiling softly at the memories.


	18. The Ties That Bind

Setting up in her new hootch, Emily let her mind drift back to those already back home and wondered if she would ever see Rusty's smiling face again or hear his laugh carried on the wind.  
'You're awful quiet over there Em. What's buggin' ya?' Zeke asked, lifting a photo of his beautiful little girl out of his bag and looking at it for a few moments before setting it up on his dresser.  
'Just thinking Zeke, nothing to worry about. Missing home and trying to find new strength to keep going.' she replied, three photos taking pride of place near her rack. One of 14, one of Goldman's platoon and one of her and Rusty.  
'You talked to LT lately? About how he's holding up.' Zeke sighed, understanding what Emily was saying without using words.  
'He's adjusted, McKay is a different story. I'm worried by how easily Myron's moved on but I guess he's handling it in his own unique way. Think I'm gonna try and catch Johnny alone later and talk to him. Ain't right that he's still out in the cold a bit with the guys. He might not go along with it but I've got to try. Everyone needs a leg up once in a while.' Emily shrugged, glancing up as someone knocked on the door.  
'Come in.' Zeke called, looking up from his unpacking. 'Private Hockenbury.'  
'Well I'm about done here Zeke. Think I'll go get a start on my other responsibilities. Se ya at the meeting with Brewster.' Emily grinned, securing her pistol and grabbing her hat.  
'Yeah, se ya there. Don't forget to grab Kawasaki and Revs for the meeting with Brewster.' Zeke nodded, knowing full well he didn't need to give Emily the reminder but he did it anyway.  
'Quit worryin' Zeke, I got it covered.' Emily grinned, relaxed and calm as she left the hootch.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Catching up with Johnny, Emily fell into step beside him and cracked a tiny smile.  
'You got a minute LT?' she asked, slowly a little in an attempt to distract him from going and annoying Myron.  
'What's on your mind Em?' he grinned, turning to look at her.  
'This isn't about me Johnny, it's about you. I'm not stupid and I'm not blind. You need a friend now, more that you've ever needed one before. Myron's got any number of guys he can talk to about his feelings and the things in his mind…but you've got no one really. You've always been on the out with the guys, ever since the Phu Loc highway incident. I want to change that and bring you into our fold where you belong. You're one of us, part of this grand plan and that is something that can't be ignored.' Emily explained, leading Johnny through the base and back to his hootch without him even realising.

Stopping outside the door, Emily waited for him to make the final decision and watched the thoughts warring in his eyes.  
'I do need someone to talk to but Myron's being a real pain. He's just brushed it aside like Alex isn't important anymore.' he nodded, opening the door and inviting Emily inside.  
'He's already had a chance to deal with his emotions. We sat and talked, he cried on my shoulder and then put it away. He's got more important things to worry about and just wants to get on with his life.' Emily grinned, pulling up a chair and settling as Johnny sunk onto his rack and hung his head. 'Talk to me Johnny; get it off your chest. There's always room in my heart for one more, all you have to do is open up to me and let me help.' she coaxed, taking the chance and walking over to sit beside him.

Looking up a little, Johnny searched Emily's gentle gaze for any hint that this was some kind of a joke but all he could find was compassion, trust, faith and hope in varying amounts.  
'I'm here Johnny, no matter what. Whatever you need, I'll do my best to help you. I won't let you fall, I'll always be here to catch you.' she whispered, wrapping one arm around his back.  
'I…god I miss her. I don't know what to do anymore, Alex was such a sweet woman. She gave freely and I never took the time to tell her how much that meant. She wasn't like other women I've known, she laughed freely and nothing seemed to be able to take the happiness from her eyes. She was an angel on earth and I never told her that. I never sat her down and talked like I wanted to. Never gave her enough compliments and now she's gone.' words and regrets spilled over each other as he spoke, still trying to hold onto his composure as he sat there with Emily.  
'I'll give you the same advice I gave a friend of mine when he went through the same thing. Write all your thoughts and regrets down in a letter to Alex. Tell her all the things you never got a chance to say. It doesn't have to make sense, just get it all down on paper. When you're done and there's nothing left to say, seal the letter tight and put it to bed.' Emily offered, resting her head against his.  
'Does it really work?' he asked, sagging a little more against Emily's side.  
'It worked for me when I had to say goodbye to someone I loved, many years ago. I wrote it all down and buried my letter in the dirt beside his grave. I haven't looked back and although I sometimes think of him, the pain of losing him doesn't crush me anymore.' Emily nodded, pulling back slowly and lifting Johnny's face to hers. 'It never gets easy to lose those you care about; I've gone through it enough times to know that.'  
'I'll try Emily, but I don't know if it'll help.' Johnny agreed, wiping his eyes quickly.  
'That's all I ask, just have a go. I have to go now, got to go meet Brewster with Myron, Zeke, Revs and Kawasaki. I'll be back though and we can talk more okay.' Emily grinned, straightening his hair quickly.  
'Yeah, okay. Thanks Em, for all you've done.' Johnny replied, managing a small grin.  
'Anytime Johnny, anytime at all.' Emily nodded, dropping him a quick wink before leaving him to his thoughts.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Running one hand through his hair, Revs sunk into a crouch beside Zeke and tried to calm his raging mind before he said something stupid.  
'Nervous much?' Kawasaki asked, taking up a matching crouch as Emily entered.  
'We have no idea how he's gonna react to us being here. I've got a feeling this one may not be as good as previous times.' Revs shrugged, glancing at Zeke and Myron.  
'Ah, you'll be fine. If anything, I'm the one who should be worried.' Emily added, looking her most masculine as she settled among her friends.  
'We'll keep the team together Em, don't sweat it.' Zeke nodded, glancing at Myron. 'LT, I've been thinkin'. Maybe I oughta take those three weeks leave I got saved up. LT? Ya hear what I said?'  
'Use it or lose it Sergeant.' Myron replied, inhaling from his cigarette.  
'Well it's a little more complicated than that.' Zeke replied, fiddling with his cap. 'My daughter Katie just turned six. She's growing up without me.'  
'If you're looking for my approval, you got it. Go on home. Be with your daughter.' Myron nodded, turning to look at Zeke.  
'Well maybe now's not the best time to be going home.' Zeke sighed, not sure he wanted to leave while Myron was still in mourning.  
'If you're worried about the men, don't be. You know I'm gonna stick around, Slash left his responsibilities to me and I will make sure 14 makes it home.' Myron reminded them, dropping his gaze again.  
'To be real honest with ya Lieutenant, I'm more concerned with who's gonna look after you.' Zeke replied honestly, his deep loyalty coming out again.  
'Zeke, go home. We can handle things without you for a few weeks. It'll be okay Zeke, you know we're capable.' Emily sighed, laying a hand on his knee for a moment.  
'Yeah, we've already proven we can hold this place together while you're out of action. Heck, we proved we can survive with the pair of ya down on medical grounds.' Revs added, ducking the lazy swipe Zeke aimed at him.  
'Go on Zeke, you deserve a chance to go home. Who knows when you'll see Katie again if you don't take this chance.' Kawasaki sighed, shifting one foot a little before he lost his balance. Myron sighed and grabbed Kawasaki by the shoulder, stopping the dark mouse from landing in a sprawled heap on the floor.

Hearing the door open, the quintet got to their feet and snapped to attention as Colonel Elliot emerged and left the building. Turning as one, the group waited for Colonel Brewster to poke his head out. Once he was in sight, the group snapped off perfect salutes, drawing comfort and support from each other as they waited to find out their fate.  
'Lieutenant Goldman, Sergeant Anderson, Sergeant Crunhes, Sergeant Hunter, Sergeant Remington.' Brewster listed, returning the salute before stepping back into his office. 'Come in.'

Trooping in and forming up behind Myron, the four Sergeants looked at each other nervously and waited for the storm that would undoubtedly come down on them.  
'I've read your 201 files, and as far as the army is concerned, I know all there is to know about you. However, I tend to agree with George Patton, files don't inform as to how the man reacts. What do you know about MACV SOG Lieutenant?' Brewster asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.  
'That SOG's an unconventional warfare task group involved in highly classified operations throughout South-East Asia. Studies and observation group is a title given to it as a cover. Just hearsay.' Myron replied, grateful for the information Emily had given him the moment she found out about their new posting.  
'Least the army's rumour mill is alive and kicking. 2000 Americans are assigned to SOG, mostly Special Forces plus 8000 highly trained indigenous troops.' Brewster nodded, arms now folded across his chest.  
'That's good company.' Zeke remarked, glancing at Emily.  
'Now isn't the time Zeke.' she hissed, trying to keep them out of trouble.  
'Past tense Sergeant. I've been informed by MACV headquarters that qualified Special Forces personnel are no longer available. That's why they sent me your unit.' Brewster corrected, ignoring Emily's hissed warning.  
'We're here because of our availability?' Myron repeated, not liking where this was going.  
'Your unit has a lot to prove Lieutenant.' Brewster replied, gaze scanning the group.  
'Begging your pardon Sir, I believe my unit has proved itself.' Myron countered, grateful to have his four Sergeants behind him.  
'The Lieutenant is right Sir. I've never served with better men. Special training or no special training.' Revs added, lifting his chin just a little more.  
'We'll see. Welcome aboard.' Brewster nodded, looking straight at Emily.  
'Yeah, you know who I am Sir. I'm the one unknown in this unit, the one you can't figure. You can understand your men and know how they tick but you ain't sure how to take my presence. Don't worry Sir, treat me like any other man under your command and we'll have no issues.' Emily grinned, stepping forward so Brewster could take a good look at her.  
'Emily, you're not helping us here.' Myron warned, laying a hand on her shoulder.  
'I'm not going to be pushed around just because I've got a different package. I've got more balls than half the guys in the service…even though mine are made of cotton.' Emily continued, refusing to be daunted and holding firm. If Brewster wanted to kick her off the team, he'd have one hell of a fight and Emily knew that.

There was silence for a moment longer before Brewster snorted a laugh and nodded.  
'You'll keep Emily, you'll keep. I've got no problems with you being here, just don't let too many people know.' he grinned, regaining his composure.  
'I make no secret of who I am Sir. I let the guys look their fill but no one touches unless they want to get hurt. I will not hide behind a shield so the men can't see somethin' good every day. I made it through Ladybird and Tan Son Nhut without hiding, Barnett will be no different. I can be all the things these brave men need and still keep asking for more.' Emily replied, lifting her chin defiantly even as Myron groaned and hung his head.  
'Em, shut it before you get us all sent to the DMZ.' Zeke sighed, starting to wonder if Emily was cracking under the pressure.  
'I didn't need to state my case to Captain Wallace, he accepted me from the start. Major Darling didn't like it but the show of force you guys put up on my behalf kept him from arcing up against me at any time. I will not let you continue to fight my battles, it's time I stood up and let my feelings be known.' Emily replied, eyes hard and voice thick with power as she stood alone in front of Brewster.  
'All I ask is that you keep up and don't make it too obvious in front of those who aren't so accepting. Apart from that, I welcome your input and expect I will learn things from you just like everyone else.' Brewster grinned, walking over to shake Emily's hand firmly.  
'Oh, I have no doubt you will Sir.' Emily chuckled, snapping off a crisp salute and walking away with her friends at her back.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Packing his gear and making sure his Formal Greens were clean and neatly pressed, Zeke couldn't help but feel a little nervous about seeing his little girl after so long.  
'Almost ready to go Zeke?' Emily asked, looking up from where she was busy stripping her rifle.  
'Yeah, just about. Hey, can I ask you a favour Em?' he nodded, folding his uniform carefully and packing it into his bag.  
'Of course, just name it.' Emily nodded, getting to her feet and walking over to his side.  
'I know you've got responsibilities here and promised ta look out for the LT but…I could really use ya support.' Zeke uttered, stopping his packing and turning to face her.  
'I'm here Zeke, whatever you need. Just tell me how I can help you get through this.' Emily coaxed, laying her hands on his shoulders.  
'Come home with me Em, I can't do this alone. I need your gentle support at my side for this, please come back to Idaho with me.' Zeke sighed, brilliant blue eyes boring into depthless brown.  
'Are you sure Zeke? What are you going to tell Carol and Katie?' Emily asked, her will weakening but she had to know.  
'I'll tell them the truth Em, you're a good friend of mine and I asked you. I need you there Em, I'm sure of that.' Zeke nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat.  
'I never could say no to you Zeke. I'm not saying it'll be easy to leave the guys here but for you, I'll do it.' Emily agreed, drawing Zeke into a warm hug for a few moments. 'Well, better go get my leave done.' she grinned, pulling back and heading out the door.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Standing on the chopper pad the next morning, Kawasaki couldn't help but feel nervous to know they were heading in with less than half the platoon. What they had was barely enough but according to Brewster, they had ample supplies and manpower.  
'Erase search and destroy from your memory. Your mission is, and I repeat, not to engage the enemy. You will be choppered in to Ben Dong province for a snatch operation at checkpoint echo, a ville approximately five klicks from the LZ. Target is a VC tax collector with vital information regarding the VC infrastructure. It is imperative that he be brought back alive for interrogation. As explained to you in your orientation, you have been issued tiger stripes and sterile weapons. Nothing to ID you as American fighting men, all non American issue. There it is.' Brewster instructed, pacing along the line before stopping in front of Myron and snapping off a salute which Myron returned. 'Good luck.'

Shaking his head, Kawasaki turned and looked at Myron before heading for the chopper with the rest of the team.  
'Snatch a VC tax collector. What kind of chicken special forces mission is that?' Taylor asked softly, not at all happy with their new mission.  
'You heard the man. These VC tax collectors come into the villages and terrorise the locals and they're handing all their money and most of their food.' Revs replied, glancing at Hockenbury for a moment.  
'Yeah, you wanna talk terrorist tactics man, you wait til you get your next pay check. See what Uncle Sam did to ya.' Taylor retorted, taking his spot in the doorway.  
'Some of us don't have to worry about that too much Taylor.' Kawasaki chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as he settled into his usual place behind the co-pilot with one foot on the skids.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Letting out her breath slowly, Emily glanced at Zeke as they climbed out of the cab and straightened their uniforms.  
'You'll be fine Zeke, just relax.' Emily uttered, straightening his tie and making sure he was spotlessly clean.  
'Thanks again for comin' Em. I don't know what I'd do without ya.' Zeke grinned, taking a calming breath as they headed up the path, laden with gifts for the happy family.

Reaching up and knocking, Zeke grinned at Emily and straightened her jacket lapels, calmed by the simple action as they waited for the door to open. Carol looked beautiful as she opened the door and smiled warmly.  
'Zeke.' she grinned, taking the pair in.  
'Hey Carol. How you doing?' Zeke grinned, taken by her beauty as always.  
'I'm fine. And who's this?' Carol chuckled, gaze turning to Emily.  
'This is my good friend Staff Sergeant Emily Hunter. I was feeling a little nervous about seeing you and Katie after so long and asked her to come with me for…moral support.' Zeke replied, mind blanking for a moment.  
'It's nice to meet you Carol, Zeke has told me so much about you and Katie.' Emily grinned, enjoying seeing how America looked and comparing it to the home she knew.  
'Did you have any trouble finding the house?' Carol asked, relaxing around Emily now that she knew this woman was no threat.  
'No, we just took a taxi from the hotel. This is a great neighbourhood here, it's really lovely.' Emily replied, taking over as Zeke got distracted.  
'Yeah, we like it. It has an excellent school system.' Carol nodded, smiling softly at Zeke's distraction.  
'Speakin' of which, uh, where's my little girl?' Zeke asked, trying to peer over Carol's shoulder.

Coming out and pulling the door mostly closed, Carol looked a little uncomfortable as she stood there and glanced back at the door.  
'Zeke, it's been two years since you've seen her.' she tried, not wanting to discourage him but trying to protect them both.  
'Yes ma'am, August 19th 1966.' Zeke nodded, proud he finally had the date memorised.  
'What I'm trying to say is, just take your time. Don't expect too much. She's just a little girl, she doesn't understand about war.' Carol continued, chuckling softly at Zeke's reply.  
'Neither do I.' Emily sighed, shaking her head slightly.  
'Well come inside while I go get Katie.' Carol nodded, moving aside for the pair to enter and leading them into the living room.

Leaving their presents on the table, Emily played wallflower as Zeke picked up one of the photos on the mantle and looked closely at it.  
'Thanks for bringing me along Zeke. It's nice to get away from that place for a while.' she uttered, smiling softly at him.  
'I hear ya there Em.' he replied, not looking up from the photo in his hands. Nodding once, Emily relaxed and fell into a parade rest stance, keen eyes missing nothing.

Hearing the footsteps, Zeke quickly replaced the photo and moved away from the mantle as Carol and Katie stood in the doorway.  
'Katie? Do you remember me? Hmm? I know it's been a while but, uh, you remember me don't ya?' Zeke tried, absolutely amazed by how beautiful his little angel was.  
'Aww, she's beautiful Zeke.' Emily breathed, captivated by Katie's big brown eyes. Totally focused on his girl, Zeke eased to one knee and nodded slightly.  
'I'm your dad. You remember that game we used to play? You'd count to ten and I'd go hide and you'd come find me. I'll tell ya what, you just close your eyes and I'm gonna go find a place to hide.' Zeke tried, glancing over his shoulder.  
'No daddy.' Katie cried, running over and throwing her arms around his neck. 'Don't go away again.' sagging just a little, Zeke wrapped his powerful arms tenderly around his daughter, glancing at Carol for a moment before closing his eyes.  
'Now that brings a tear to ya eyes.' Emily sighed, watching as Carol teared up at the beautiful sight and wiped away a tear of her own. Zeke just smiled and rocked from side to side, overjoyed to have his little girl back in his arms.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Making their way through the boonies, Kawasaki and Revs kept their eyes on the prize and made sure no one got hurt on their watch. Kawasaki fell easily into his role, never straying more than a few feet from Myron's side as they continued their trek. Myron stopped and shouldered his rifle before wiping his face and digging out his map, all the while oblivious to the danger right beside him. Freezing for a moment, Kawasaki calmed and refocused before reaching out and yanking Myron away from the fallen tree.  
'kindly quit trying ta kill yaself LT.' he muttered as Decal moved up and dealt with the snake, taking its head off and bagging the body for later tanning.  
'Two-Step.' he nodded, moving back into place.  
'Thanks.' Myron uttered, amazed he'd missed the snake.

The sound of a snapping branch rang loud among the other sounds and Taylor whipped around to look, spotting the approaching enemy troops and dropping lower.  
'NVA.' he hissed, pointing to the group. Moving up, Myron and Kawasaki landed beside Taylor as the rest of the group took shelter in the long grass and thick leaves behind them. Hugging the ground and keeping absolutely silent, the team waited to either be discovered or left the hell alone.

Finally the NVA troops backed away but unfortunately for the team, the four enemy troops decided this was the perfect spot to sit and have a break. Rolling his eyes, Kawasaki signalled to Decal and got comfortable, fully aware they were in for a long wait. That's when he spotted the scorpion making its way down the slope towards Taylor. Nodding slowly, he pulled a plastic tub from his gear and inched closer, using all his skills as a commando to avoid making a noise.

Calm as ever, he reached out and grabbed the scorpion firmly just right and lifted it clear of Taylor before dropping it into the plastic container and screwing the lid on tight. Winking quickly, he eased away and slid the container into his kit, making sure it was nice and safe. Ears pricking up a little, Decal listened as the four troops finished their cigarettes and stood. One came a little too close to the hidden men but thankfully didn't see them as he tossed his cigarette butt away.

The moment they were clear, Taylor bolted to his knees and stared at Kawasaki in disbelief as he pulling out the jarred scorpion again and looked at it.  
'Where'd you learn to move like that?' Myron asked, also staring at Kawasaki.  
'I'm the commando section head back home, I've got to be able to do stuff like that. As for this little guy, he'll make a great present for my older brother and his namesake.' Kawasaki shrugged, securing his prize and easing to his feet.  
'You're just as crazy as the rest of your bros.' Johnson sighed, getting up and following Myron.

Easing into a crouch, Myron scanned the area slowly as Kawasaki came up beside him, not even trying to fill Zeke's shoes but doing the job in his own way.  
'LT, we lost about a hour.' he uttered, tail out to maintain his balance.  
'Right.' Myron nodded, glancing at his replacement Sergeant and feeling a little more relaxed.  
'So what do you want us to do? Try to make up time or abort?' Kawasaki asked, already thinking of a way to make up the lost time.  
'Well what'd you wanna do Sergeant?' Myron countered, turning to look at Kawasaki.  
'Well Sir, there's a ridge about a klick from here. I think if we move over and down, it'll put us right at checkpoint echo.' Kawasaki replied, pulling up his mental maps of the area.  
'Tell the men we're moving out.' Myron agreed, grateful he had such experience to hand.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sticking close enough so Zeke knew she was still around but far enough not to interfere, Emily and Carol watched Zeke and Katie bonding and sharing some beautiful time together.  
'That looks good. Don't wipe it on your dress now. So you like ice cream?' Zeke grinned, perched on the side of the sandbox with Katie as she enjoyed a chocolate ice cream. She licked her lips and nodded, total love in her eyes.  
'Yeah, I do too. What else do you like? You like school?' he continued, amazed and entranced by his darling Katie.  
'Only recess, and Captain Kangaroo, and laughin'.' Katie listed, her smile warm as the sun.  
'What's laughin'?' Zeke asked, enjoying every minute of his time.  
'Sock it to me.' Katie beamed, earning a soft laugh from Zeke. 'And I like fishing.'  
'Yeah? You went fishing? I'll bet your mom took you fishing, didn't she?' Zeke grinned, never wanting to leave. 'How was it?'  
'It was neat, especially the worms. Harry showed me how to put them on the hook.' Katie replied, her smile fading just a bit.  
'What's the matter?' Zeke asked, willing to do anything to get Katie to smile again.  
'Mommy said not to talk about Harry. She said it would make you sad. Are you sad daddy?' Katie explained, her innocence touching Emily in a way she'd never been touched before.  
'No baby, no. I'm glad Harry took you fishing. You like Harry?' Zeke replied, stroking her hair softly.  
'I love him.' Katie nodded, shuffling around a little bit.  
'That's good, that's real good.' Zeke nodded, hiding his pain easily.  
'You won't tell mommy will you?' Katie asked, a little afraid of getting into trouble.  
'No, that'll be our little secret.' Zeke promised, intending to keep that promise until the day he left this world.  
'That's why you went away, isn't it. Because I didn't listen to you and mommy.' Katie looked so sad right then and right at that moment, Emily hated what the war had done to all of them.  
'Katie, no that's not right. Katie, you're the best little girl that a dad could ever want in his world do you hear me? The best, and I love you very much. The reason I went away didn't have anything to do with you.' Zeke corrected, hating what he'd done to his little girl.  
'Was it because of mommy?' Katie asked, her ice cream forgotten.  
'On god no honey. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was to leave you and your mom. You understand that? I don't know if I can explain it to you now, but, uh, I went away because my country needed me to. See, I'm a soldier and I was doing my job.' Zeke tried to explain but he wasn't sure he would ever be able to fully explain the reason why.  
'Are you ever coming home?' Katie sighed, eyes shining with love and hope.  
'You mean back here?' Katie nodded. 'No, I don't think so. But I'll tell you one thing. I ain't ever going to be very far away.' Zeke replied, heart clenching at the mere thought of leaving his daughter behind.  
'I love you daddy.' Katie sighed, getting up and putting her arms around him as best she could.  
'That's good, that's real good.' Zeke nodded, gently rubbing Katie's back as he held her close.

Smiling softly, Emily looked at Carol and nodded, the women sharing an unspoken connection that revolved squarely around Zeke and his undying love for Katie.  
'Zeke never struck me as the kind of man to require moral support Emily. So why did you really come here?' Carol asked, turning to look at the younger woman.  
'You didn't see Zeke before we left. He was scared about coming home, not sure what to expect or even if Katie would want to know him. He practically begged me to come along because he knows he can rely on me. I've saved his life twice and he knows I care about him so felt safe to ask for my help when he needed it desperately.' Emily explained, hating the way her words made Zeke sound weak.  
'There's something about you Emily, something that tells me I can trust you. Do you think I made the wrong choice in getting remarried instead of waiting for Zeke to come home?' Carol nodded, a tear in her eye as she watched Zeke and Katie.  
'Well that's hard to tell Carol. We are in a war, no one knows what each day could bring. Every mission is dangerous and there's no promise we'll make it back. But I can say this with great confidence; I will do all I can to keep Zeke safe and alive.' Emily shrugged, cursing whatever had brought her here only to eventually shatter Zeke's heart.  
'Thank you Emily, that's all I can ask of anyone these days.' Carol nodded, reaching out to lay one hand on Emily's shoulder lightly.

Katie looked up and spotted Emily and Carol and waved, beckoning Emily to come over and sit with them.  
'I don't know Katie, don't you think you should spend this time with your daddy?' Emily asked, getting to her feet.  
'I can do both.' Katie replied, settling on Zeke's knee happily.  
'Well, alright then.' Emily nodded, walking over and taking a seat beside Zeke and Katie.  
'Are you taking care of my daddy?' Katie asked, getting right to the point like Zeke always did.  
'I sure am Katie. I make sure he stays out of trouble and makes it back to base every day.' Emily grinned, still in awe of how special this little girl made her feel.  
'Will you make sure I see him again?' Katie continued, looking up at Zeke and smiling bright as the sun again.  
'I'll do everything I can to make sure you see your daddy again. Your daddy is a very brave man, I feel very special to have met him.' Emily replied, hating the fact she couldn't tell Katie the truth.  
'I love him.' Katie informed her, licking up the melted ice cream dripping down her hand.  
'And I know how much he loves you. You're a lucky girl to have a daddy like Zeke.' Emily smiled softly, reaching up to lightly stroke Katie's soft hair.  
'I'll be right back.' Katie informed them, sliding off Zeke's knee and running inside to wash her sticky hands.

Hanging her head for a moment, Emily sighed and looked up again.  
'Zeke, I don't think I can do this. I know in my heart that you're making the transition with us and that you'll probably never see Katie again. What brought us together is both a blessing and a curse and I can't apologise enough for that.' she uttered, constantly alert for the sound of Katie returning.  
'I know Em, I know. I'm trying to make this day as special as I can because of that but…a guy can dream right?' Zeke nodded, laying a hand on her shoulder lightly.  
'Yeah, a guy can always dream. We'll make it work Zeke, I don't know how but we'll make it wok.' Emily replied, straightening up a little and hoping against hope that things would turn out for the better in this case.

Katie soon came back and climbed up onto Zeke's knee again, safe in the protective embrace of his arms.  
'Oh, I almost forgot. One of our other friends made this for you Katie. I hope you like it.' Emily grinned, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small box.  
'What is it?' Katie asked, leaning forward a little as Emily lifted out the broach tucked inside.  
'It's a butterfly, made from all kinds of pretty materials.' Emily replied, turning the gift over so Katie could see the shimmering design before Emily pinned it to her dress.  
'Let me see honey.' Zeke added, turning her around so he could look at the butterfly broach.  
'It's so pretty Emily. Thank you.' Katie nodded, gently touching one wing.  
'A pretty broach for a beautiful girl. Now whenever you get dressed up for anything, you can always carry a special reminder of your daddy with you.' Emily explained, stroking Katie's hair again. 'It was his idea to make something like this and I knew just the person to ask.'  
'Thank you Emily, I love it.' Katie replied, slipping from Zeke's arms and walking over to hug Emily tight.  
'You're welcome Katie. I know you'll wear it every chance you get.' Emily grinned, swallowing another lump in her throat as she held the sweet little girl.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Kawasaki knew Myron was off his game but there wasn't anything he could do but try and keep everyone alive and pray Emily and Zeke came back to them soon. Ears down and tail tucked close, Revs made his way into the cemetery with Taylor and took cover, every sense alert to the danger.  
'Come on.' Myron uttered, glancing at Ruiz and waving him forward.  
'In there?' Ruiz asked, not moving from where he was crouched beside Myron.  
'Yeah, in there.'  
'LT, it's a cemetery.'  
'You're not superstitious are you Ru?'  
'It's not superstition, its respect.'  
'Alright, you're my spotter. The village is just beyond those trees.'

Moving up again, Kawasaki pressed to the ground and froze right beside Myron, rifle ready but only one eye on the enemy.  
'You got to focus LT, you're cracking.' he breathed, leaning over a little more.  
'I'm fine Kawasaki.' Myron replied, hunkered down behind a gravestone.  
'So far.' Kawasaki sighed, pressed back down.

Ruiz soon came back, landing right beside Kawasaki but not noticing him until the burly grey-green Sergeant lifted his head a fraction.  
'LT.' Ruiz hissed, amazed by how well Kawasaki hid. 'The tax collector and two escorts just left the village.'  
'Alright, let's make this fast and clean. Johnson, you and Taylor take out the two escorts. Revs, you snatch that tax collector.' Myron instructed, still hugging the ground but making sure he made eye contact with his men. 'And remember, the Colonel wants him alive for interrogation.'

Picking up on the movement, Kawasaki lifted his head a fraction and watched Myron put his rifle down and start to stand, a new plan in his head. Hopping up, Myron drew his pistol and advanced, no fear in his eyes and no thoughts in his head.  
'Damnit.' Kawasaki swore, getting up and sticking behind Myron, ready to jump in if anything went wrong.

Cocking the pistol, Myron fired twice, sending the two guards down dead before he turned the pistol onto the tax collector.  
'Don't even think about it LT!' Kawasaki snapped, breaking from cover and forcibly removing the weapon from Myron's hand as Revs came up on the other side and took the prisoner down.  
'Killing one more VC ain't gonna bring Alex back LT.' Revs added, binding the prisoner and hauling him up.  
'Maybe you don't give a damn about your own life but what about us? I know you care about us just as I know you promised Slash you'd take care of us.' Decal intervened, moving up to help calm the situation down in ways only he could.  
'Get him back to the LZ.' Myron ordered, clicking the safety on and holstering his pistol.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Helping Carol clear the table after dinner, Emily felt a lot more human than she had in years, lost in the routine of daily life for the average American.  
'I'm guessing Katie showed you the broach Zeke had made for her.' she grinned, wrist deep in the sink happily.  
'Yes, it's really very beautiful. What's it made of?' Carol nodded, still trying to understand the contradiction that was Emily.  
'Butterfly wings wrapped in the plastic from cigarette packets. There's a plentiful supply of both over there and our friend Dean has the small fingers to make sure intricate work look easy.' Emily explained, one ear out for Zeke as she washed the dishes and stacked them in the dish rack.  
'I would have thought you'd be too busy to make something like that. It sounds rather fiddly.' Carol nodded, starting to dry the dishes.  
'It was a long process but when it counts, the guys find the time. There's one for you too, it's in my pocket. Zeke was worried about damaging the delicate things.' Emily added, drying her hands and retrieving the second box from her jacket.

Opening the box, Carol smiled softly and lifted out the winged heart, admiring the way it shone and shimmered under the lights.  
'These really are amazing gifts Emily, thank you.' Carol nodded, looking up as Zeke came downstairs.  
'Well, it's easier to get a platoon full of soldiers to bed than a six year old.' Zeke remarked, shoving his hands into his pockets.  
'Did Katie ask you to read her a story?' Carol chuckled, a warm smile on her face.  
'Yeah, Winnie the Pooh.' Zeke nodded, noticing Emily had handed over the second butterfly wing broach. 'But first she had to find a warm bed for the new doll. Harry's not back yet.'  
'No, not yet. He had a big trial coming up.' Carol replied, putting the broach back in its box where it would be safe. 'Would you like a drink? I know he wants to meet you.'  
'No thanks. I'd like to meet him too. Just, to be honest with ya, I'm beat. I'm gonna get on back to the hotel. Look, uh, Carol, I'm happy for ya. I mean, you and Katie have the life that you deserve here.' Zeke replied, glancing at his watch.  
'Oh Zeke.' Carol sighed, her smile softening.  
'You done good Carol, and I care about you and Katie an awful lot. If you ever need anything, anything, I'll be here.' Zeke continued, gaze locked on Carol.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Trooping back into their hootch, the exhausted guys from the snatch team spread out and headed for their racks to cool down before getting stuck into the next round.  
'Looks like your ma sent you some more cookies Percell.' Decal called, slumping onto his rack and finding a letter from home on his pillow.  
'Hey, right on mom.' Danny grinned, grabbing the parcel and sitting down.  
'Your mom sends you cookies?' Hockenbury asked, coming in behind Percell.  
'They're not just cookies Doc.' Percell replied, starting on the paper.  
'His mom bakes the best cookies in Montana.' Taylor added, relieved to sit down and rest his feet.  
'Yeah, his mom's won more blue ribbons then Brewster has medals.' Ru agreed, shucking his gear. Danny opened the tin, only to find it was empty.  
'Someone ate my cookies.' he protested, showing Ruiz the empty tin.  
'Don't look at me, I was with you.' Ruiz argued, not liking the sound of this. Throwing the tin aside, Danny shot to his feet and stormed out of the hootch.  
'You guys rest, we got this one.' Carbon nodded, hustling out of the hootch with Speed at his side.

Hanging back, the two black mice watched Danny confront the mail clerk angrily.  
'this ain't gonna end well bro.' Speed remarked, jumping slightly as Danny tore the flyscreen open and half dragged the clerk through.  
'He's got nothing else to look forward to. Were it my package, I'd be pissed too.' Carbon shrugged, turning and heading after Percell as he moved off again.

Coming around to the motor pool, the Knight brothers once again hung back but were ready to jump the moment Danny got out of hand.  
'Where's Monks?' Danny asked, voice ringing loud in the half building.  
'Who wants to know?' one of the grease monkey's countered, bent over the side of a jeep.  
'Spec 4 Daniel Percell, Monks.' Danny replied, storming up the hefty man.  
'Ohh, your mother's a pretty good baker Percell. But, uh, next time, how about some oatmeal raisin.' Monks grinned, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. Inhaling sharply, Danny slammed his elbow into Monks' gut and hauled him around before shoving his head into a barrel of grease.  
'Danny, let him go!' Speed called, approaching warily.  
'Okay, come on. Danny, let him go.' Carbon added, also moving closer.

When Danny showed no signs of releasing the mechanic, the Knight brothers charged and tackled him off, dragging Danny away and keeping him back.  
'Get offa me.' Danny snarled, fighting the pair until they released him.  
'The sooner Em and Zeke get back, the better.' Speed sighed, following Danny away as Monks tried to catch his breath.  
'I hear ya there bro.' Carbon agreed, falling into step with his brother. 'Cookies.'  
'It's more than just cookies.' Speed replied, glancing at his bro.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Settled on the couch, Emily enjoyed a beer and listened as Zeke made a coupe airline reservations from Fayetteville to San Antonio Texas.  
'Oh now where are you dragging me Zeke?' she asked when he'd hung up the phone.  
'Want to go see Major Seymour, got something I want to ask her.' he replied, wandering over to sit beside Emily.  
'Just don't start making too many plans Zeke. It's bad enough that I had to lie to Katie about seeing you again, don't ask me to cover up our story too many more times. As much as I can see you want to stay here in his timeline, things have already been in motion too long. You'll wind up making the same trip as everyone else.' Emily sighed, really wishing things had turned out different and Zeke wasn't stuck with an impossible choice.  
'This may be my last chance to see her Em. I'm not saying I want to marry her, just let her know I'm okay and might not have another chance to see her.' Zeke shrugged, propping his feet up on the table.  
'Why's it got to be so hard? I hate the fact I'm pulling you all away from those you care about but I can't stop this from happening. Danny's gonna lose his mom, so will Ru. Johnson will never see his family again, Taylor won't get his chance to chase civilian ladies and you…it's just not fair.' Emily growled, slamming her beer down on the table and hanging her head.  
'Come on now Em, don't you fall apart on me. I can handle whatever comes which is why I made this trip. It's my chance to say goodbye without saying the word.' Zeke soothed, pulling Emily in against his side and stroking her hair until they both fell asleep where they were.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Trying to keep his chin up, Myron packed a few of Alex's thing up, cigarette dangling from his lip as his hands traced over her camera. Opening her notebook, he lifted out a single article and lowered his cigarette as he sat. There was silence for a few moments then someone came knocking.  
'come.' he called, tearing his gaze away from the page.  
'How you doing?' Johnny asked, taking his cap off and running one hand through his hair.  
'Well to tell you the truth, I came about as close to the edge today as I care to get. You want a drink?' Myron sighed, closing the notebook and putting it away.  
'Sure. Long as you tell me what you're gonna put in it first.' Johnny agreed, grabbing a spare glass and walking over to sit at the table.  
'The best scotch whiskey money can buy.' Myron replied, picking up the bottle and unscrewing the cap quickly.  
'Well in that case, make mine a double.' Johnny sighed, getting comfortable as Myron poured. 'To Alex.' he offered, picking up the glass as Myron put the bottle away.  
'To Alex.' Myron repeated, glasses clinking sharp in the evening quiet.

Throwing his drink back, Johnny let it burn down his throat and was distracted by the small box on the floor, recognising the article title staring back at him.  
'What is this?' he asked, still looking at the box.  
'That's just some stuff she left behind.' Myron replied, glancing down to the box.  
'I remember when she wrote this piece. I couldn't understand what was so interesting about guys humping their way through the war.' Johnny nodded, opening the notebook. 'After spending three months with Lieutenant Goldman's unit, I have come to the slow realisation that in war there is no time for tears. Slow because I witnessed among these men a greater capacity for compassion, sincerity and love than I have ever before encountered. D. H. Lawrence said war only holds pain yet Lieutenant Goldman's men go on, without their buddies, without their innocence, without their tears. You ask why, the answer is simple.' he read, throat closing up at the familiarity of the words and Alex's voice in his head.  
'Like all good soldiers, they save their grief for after the war.' Myron finished, a smile growing across his face at the memory. Throwing back the last of his drink, he let the memories come and relaxed back a little more.

Pulling the sealed envelope out of his pocket, Johnny looked at it for a moment before tucking it safely inside the notebook.  
'Goodbye Alex.' he whispered, a lone tear sliding down his handsome face as he put the notebook back in the box.  
'What did you just put in there?' Myron asked, not wanting to pry but unable to help himself.  
'Just something Emily advised. I wrote down all my thoughts and regrets about Alex in a letter and sealed it up. Everything I wanted to say and didn't, all the things I meant to do but never got the chance to and all my mixed emotions towards her. Now I'm putting it to bed in the hope it'll help me move on.' Johnny explained, shoulders sloping down a little more.  
'Did it help?' Myron enquired, wondering if he should do the same thing.  
'Yeah, I don't feel so bad anymore. I still miss her but the regret is gone and the pain lessened.' Johnny nodded, pouring another round.  
'Might have to do the same thing.' Myron uttered, staring into his glass as the companionable silence fell over the pair.

Chuckling softly, he drained the glass again and relaxed, eyes half closing.  
'You won't believe what Kawasaki did out there today.' he remarked, looking at Johnny.  
'Go on, try me. What did Kawasaki do out there toady?' Johnny asked, taking a great interest in the mice now that they were starting to accept him again.  
'We were laying there in silence, waiting for an NVA patrol to walk away when this scorpion comes crawling down towards us and onto Taylor's arm. Cool and calm, Kawasaki shuffled over and pulled a contained from his kit and caught the bloody thing. Said it'd make a nice gift for his older brother.' Myron grinned, still amazed by what he'd seen out in the field.  
'Still regret Slash leaving?' Johnny nodded, content and relaxed.  
'Yeah, he got things in a way you can't, no offence. You know, platoon leader to platoon leader.' Myron shrugged, digging out another cigarette and lighting up.  
'None taken Myron, I get it. I know I'll never have the same sort of connection you have with Slash but at least we're talking like civil men now.' Johnny smirked, thankful Emily had started to bridge the gap between them.


	19. Band of Brothers

Circling slowly, Slash and Rusty probed for weaknesses and kept their defences up amid the screaming of the crowd and rapid placing of bets. Things had finally returned to normal for those in Chicago and the base rang with the sounds of happy laughter and gentle teasing.  
'C'mon Rusty, flatten him!' Falcon bellowed, a week of farm duties on the line since they didn't bother betting with money among themselves.  
'Get him Slash!' Sidewinder called, not looking forward to an extra week away from the safety of the underground base.  
'Watch the right hook Rusty! It'll take ya block off!' Christine warned, a week of dishes on the line with Braidy.  
'Don't let him tackle ya Slash! He's heavier than you!' Braidy countered, determined to stay out of the pot sink in the kitchen.

Blocking everyone else out, Rusty moved to the right before snapping around to catch Slash on the left. Digging their feet in and straining, the pair wrestled to stay upright and in the fight. Sliding his right foot forward, Rusty turned and pulled Slash off balance, taking him to the floor easily. Now he had the advantage and made use of it, putting his new found skills to work and getting Slash pinned down in moments.  
'Aw hell, looks like I'm out in the cold for a couple weeks.' Sidewinder sighed, making his way out of the group to go change the roster.  
'I'll trade ya. I got a week in the pot sink from Chris.' Braidy groaned, glancing over his shoulder before trailing Christine from the gym.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Wiping the sweat from his face, Rusty headed for the shower room, whistling happily as he pushed the door open and came around the secondary wall that formed the south wall of the showers. Stepping up onto the room proper, he found a clear spot on one of the benches in the middle of the room and put his towel down before sliding out of his boxers and heading for the nearest empty spot.  
'Nice work in the ring there Rusty.' Center Line grinned, scrubbing his hair quickly.  
'Thanks bro. Did you back a winner?' Rusty asked, dabbing at the small cut over his left eye.  
'Yep, bet Randy a week of monitor watching. He had some less than pleasant things to say but hey, I don't care. I've got a few more hours to write my bros and organise the care packages they want.' Center Line chuckled, ducking the washcloth Randy lobbed at him from across the room.  
'Now now Randy, don't get shitty. I was just as surprised to put Slash down like that as you were.' Rusty soothed, bombing the cloth back at the younger medic.  
'Ah don't be such a sore loser Randy; at least you didn't lose to a mechanic. I copped a week of grease trap duties from Windvest.' Roger groused, sinking back and enjoying the soothing bath.  
'Oh man, you really did get the short end of that one. No one enjoys grease trap duties.' Fog winced, gently pulling the comb through Fang's long fur.  
'Flesh verses fur, I'd say he'll have an easier cleanup than most.' Falcon shrugged, eyes closed in bliss as he sunk into the deepest of the tubs.

Adjusting the temperature, Rusty leant forward a little and groaned in pleasure as the hot water pounded down onto his back.  
'Sounds like someone's a bit tense.' Shift remarked, lathering up his fur and getting it to shine.  
'I'm just a bit stressed Shift, nothing to worry about.' Rusty replied, straightening up and running his hands through his hair.  
'Em will be fine; she puts her butt on the line all the time.' Blade grinned, coming up on Rusty's other side and turning the taps.  
'I'm entitled to worry Blade. You were a wreck until Slash got back now it's my turn.' Rusty countered, chuckling softly as Rom and Rem bounded in and sat. 'Okay, okay. Come on boys, bathtime.' he grinned, kneeling and stripping the dogs out of their uniform before opening the bag Rom had brought along.  
'You really are a sucker for those two…much like Em.' Center Line commented, turning off the water and heading to grab his towel.  
'Always had dogs when I was growing up.' Rusty shrugged, soaping the dogs up and turning his face away as they headed under the water to rinse off as dogs tend to do.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Kicking up his feet, Roger leant back against Black comfortably as Bandit and Torque set up the projector and screen. A special package had arrived that morning and everyone was excited to see how their friends were going back in Nam.  
'Shhh, here we go.' Bandit hissed, settling and pulling Torque close as the countdown flickered then went dark.

The worried friends, family and loved ones watched in silence as the adventures they had missed were displayed on screen for them to share and learn from.  
'MACV SOG, just great. Heard some scary stories about that lot.' Rusty muttered, his worries growing at the thought of his precious Emily hanging with those bad boys.  
'Any reasons why Em won't make it home in one piece?' Sidewinder asked, head resting companionably against Rusty's knee.  
'Well, if Emily's anything like you tell me, she should be fine…so long as she keeps her cover up. These Special Forces guys don't like getting shown up by anyone.' Rusty shrugged, a warm smile crossing his face as he gazed at Emily's beautiful face and he heard her laugh.  
'Em can handle it; she beats up on Falcon for fun.' Blade nodded, ducking the pillow that flew at his head.  
'Guys, shut it.' Slash hissed, cuddling up with Bonfire again but his gaze was locked on the screen.

#$~$#@#$~$#

The film wound down but no one noticed as the projector stopped. Man and mouse alike were fast asleep, heads pillowed on whatever was available close to hand. Rusty was slumped back against Choke, chin resting against his chest as Sidewinder made a pillow of Rusty's knees. Randy had his head on Bits' shoulder and Braidy's head in his lap. Roger was content to use Black as a pillow while working as pillow for Blade and Scott who in turn was now being used as Fang and Fog's shared pillow. The rest of the team was in a similar tangle, reaffirming their connection as brothers as they slept and dreamed of being reunited.


	20. A Necessary End

Walking down the street in Saigon, Raider picked up a few things for the people back home and checked his watch, making sure he didn't miss his pickup.  
'McKay! Look out!' he howled, spotting the little girl running in the street. McKay's eyes blew wide and he jumped on the brakes of the jeep but not before he hit the little girl. Jumping out, Johnny ran to the front of the jeep and knelt, checking the little girl was still alive.  
'I didn't even see her. Where'd she come from?' Johnny asked, absolutely terrified he'd killed the young girl.  
'Is she alive?' Raider added, skidding to a stop beside the chopper jock.  
'Yeah, she's alive. We gotta get her to a doctor or something. Doctor? Is there a doctor around here?' Johnny called, looking around frantically.

Hearing the heavily accented voice, Raider looked up as a nun pushed her way through the crowd.  
'Oh what has happened?' she asked, crouching and drawing the shaken girl into a warn hug.  
'I don't know. She ran out in front of me. I tried to stop. I just knocked her down. Sorry.' Johnny offered, still freaked out by the close call.  
'I believe she is more frightened then hurt.' the nun replied, calming and soothing the slightly battered child.  
'Well, do you know a doctor? Is there a doctor around here?' Johnny asked, focused on the situation completely.  
'There sure is Johnny. Revs! Over here! We got an injured child!' Raider called, spotting the black furred medic.  
'On my way.' Revs replied, abandoning his shopping and sprinting over to the small gathering.

Laying his kit down, he lightly placed one hand on the little girl's back and nodded slowly.  
'It's okay; you don't have to be afraid. I'm a doctor, I'll help you.' he soothed, looking to the nun beside him for support.  
'I had heard stories about the strange soldiers around here. It will be alright, he will not hurt you.' she replied, gently lifting the little girl and setting her on the hood of the jeep.  
'Now this might sting a little bit.' Revs warned, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic. Smiling softly to keep the girl calm, he wet a clean cloth with the antiseptic and gently cleaned her scraped knee.  
'Where's she live?' Raider asked, just to break the tension filled silence that had descended on them all.  
'She's an orphan, one of many we care for.' the nun replied, lightly stroking the little girl's hair as Revs finished cleaning the wound and dug around in his bag again.  
'You're such a brave girl. I only give these to my best and bravest patients.' he grinned, handing her a lollipop before getting back to work.  
'You really are an old softy Revs.' Johnny teased, relieved to have the medic around and not just for the little girl. He knew this little mishap would go no further among his friends.  
'We all have a soft spot for kids McKay, we just don't see enough of them back home.' Raider sighed, helping the little girl unwrap her special treat as Revs turned his focus to her grazed elbow, keeping his touch light and soft.  
'Keep forgetting you've got your own problems back home.' Johnny nodded, looking around at the crowd starting to move away.  
'Little things like this make it all worth while though. There we go sweetie, all done.' Revs replied, easing the shaken girl back off the jeep.  
'Thank you very much…Revs was it?' the nun smiled, the little girl huddled close as she enjoyed her lollipop.  
'Yes Ma'am, Revs Remington at your service.' Revs nodded, offering her a courteous bow.  
'Can we offer you a lift home Sister?' Johnny offered, feeling as though he should do something to make up for the accident.  
'that would be lovely.' she replied, allowing Johnny to help her into the jeep as Raider picked the girl up and climbed into the back with Revs.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Opening the door, Shard grinned and walked over to his bed, grateful to see his new friend hadn't moved from where he'd been left.  
'Hey Nirach. Come on, up you come.' he nodded, offering his shoulder to his precious little monkey as he secured the leash to his wrist. Chittering happily, Nirach climbed up Shard's arm and settled, tail wrapping around his shoulder as they headed out into the sun.

Whistling softly, Shard wandered across base and over to the open air bar where Hockenbury was sitting with his own monkey.  
'Hey Doc, mind if we join ya?' he asked, grabbing a beer and closing his eyes for a moment.  
'Go right ahead, Chico won't bite.' Doc nodded, running his fingers softly through Chico's fur.  
'Good boy Nirach.' Shard chuckled, taking a seat as Nirach started going through his fur, searching for any little insects.  
'Well that is one advantage to having a monkey I guess.' Doc smirked, watching the monkey groom the mouse.  
'Hey, if it means I don't need the flea comb for a while, I'm happy. It's natural for him, don't need to tell him to do anything, Nirach just does it.' Shard shrugged, careful not to upset his monkey.  
'What kind of a name is that? I've never heard anything like it before.' Hockenbury asked, going back to lightly running his hand over Chico's back.  
'It means peace in my mother tongue. My momma wanted to call me Nirach but dad said this looked like a shard of glass…and so the name stuck.' Shard explained, indicating the brown marking on his fur.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Pulling up outside the orphanage, Revs jumped down and gently took the little girl from Raider as Johnny helped Sister Bernadette out.  
'Did you like that?' Revs asked, setting her down as watching the little girl run into the fenced area as though nothing had happened.  
'They are so fortunate.' Sister Bernadette remarked, smiling warmly at the children playing.  
'Fortunate? To live like this?' Johnny still didn't get it but he was learning.  
'It's this or the streets Johnny, so yeah, these are the lucky ones.' Raider shrugged, trying not to frighten anyone.  
'Exactly Raider. We three look after these few. It could easily be hundreds.' Bernadette nodded, leading the group into the fenced area.  
'Casualties that don't get counted huh.' Johnny nodded, heart lightened by the sight of children at play.  
'We fled our school and orphanage in the north to escape the communist. Many of the Sisters were assassina…murdered. Some returned to France, and we took refuge in this abandoned building.' Bernadette explained, glancing at Revs quickly.  
'Wait a minute. She's a Buddhist right? What's she doing here?' Johnny asked, indicting the woman sitting all alone, deep in meditation.  
'Three of them live here. Their sanctuary was destroyed by South Vietnamese soldiers. A saboteur took refuge there and their entire pagoda was destroyed by rockets, just to kill one man. Her name is Yoa Lan. She has been fasting for four weeks.' Bernadette chuckled, amazed by how little Johnny knew of the people not fighting the war.  
'Fasting and praying for four weeks?' Johnny asked, amazed anyone could sit still for that long.  
'She meditates, she seeks a pure soul. To understand…life's purpose.'  
'You think one lifetime's enough to work all that out?' Johnny asked, rolling his shoulders quickly.  
'You sound like a Buddhist yourself Johnny.' Raider grinned, understanding the reasons and thinking of friends who had tried to find the same thing.  
'Perhaps you should go talk to her Johnny.' Revs added, giving the pilot a quick nudge.  
'No, but I would like to talk to you some more. I'm serious, a pure soul might be a little out of my reach but, I have wondered about my own life's purpose. Got to be more to it than what I've found so far.' Johnny shrugged, turning his attention back to Sister Bernadette.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Walking away from the briefing, Myron turned over his choices and tried to put together the best team for their new mission.  
'Kawasaki and Tar are both going to be vital if we're gonna stay quiet and make this quick. Revs just in case things turn nasty and he'll blend into the darkness better than Shard. Decal's a no brainer, quick, quiet and dependable as all hell. RTO will be Carbon, he's smaller and a little lighter on his feet. Throw in Taylor and Ruiz and we've got a good balance. Oh, better not forget Emily and Zeke too, just know I'm gonna need them.' he mused, relieved to have Emily and Zeke back with the team. With his mental prep done, Myron lit a cigarette and wandered off to find the men he needed for the mission.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Leaning against the jeep, Revs and Raider watched as Johnny gave Swan a cute little cuddly cow to keep and treasure.  
'Reckon we'll ever see this sort of thing back home?' Raider asked, subtly giving Johnny the signal it was time for them to leave.  
'Maybe not in our lifetime's bro but one day, our home will return to her former beauty.' Revs shrugged, wanting to stay and watch the children playing for a little longer.  
'Come on Johnny, we're gonna get in trouble if we're not back soon.' Raider called, climbing into the jeep.  
'Yeah, alright. I'm coming.' Johnny replied, making his way back to the jeep with Sister Bernadette at his side.

Folding their ears down and lowering their eyes, the two mice sat and waited as Johnny and Bernadette talked for a bit longer before she headed back inside and Johnny took the wheel.  
'Talk about some heavy stuff.' Johnny uttered, starting up the engine and pulling away.  
'Wouldn't know. We weren't listening.' Revs shrugged, hanging on tight as the bounced back towards base.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Pulling his bandana tight as he ran, Revs hustled across the base to join up with the rest of the group assigned to this mission. His dark fur was streaked with patches of greens and browns as a precaution but for the most, he doubted such a thing would be necessary.  
'Nice of you to join us Revs.' Decal called, slipping his antenna through the dark fabric and pulling his bandana tight.  
'Oh hush now Dec. Hold still, I'll try and be gentle.' Emily grinned, lightly running her fingers over his antenna to spread the dark green war paint over them.  
'Heard you had a little adventure in town this morning Revs.' Zeke added, looking over the group.  
'Yeah, McKay ran a little girl down. Just glad I could help.' Revs shrugged, darkening his own antenna quickly.

Relaxed and calm as always, Emily moved away from the group just a little and lit up, knowing how much Decal hated being around smokers. He put up with it and kept his mouth shut but his body was a temple and he took amazing care of it all the time. But then, to be the best spy in the unit took a lot of work and no one liked the idea of undoing all the work he'd put into it.  
'Merciful Ares, protector of all and guardian of Mars, I beg of ye to watch over us and see us safely home to those we love. Guide our feet and sharpen our gazes so we can do our duties without fault or fear. Protect us in your majestic presence and keep us from harm. Be with our loved ones who wait and pray for our return. In your honoured name, these things I pray.' she whispered, eyes turning skyward.  
'In your honoured name, these things we pray.' Carbon and Kawasaki repeated, coming up beside Emily and lifting their gazes.

Hearing the chopper approaching, the group cleared the landing pad and gathered behind Myron, weapons up and kit secured properly.  
'Mount up!' Myron called, signalling to the team before heading for the bird waiting for them. Jumping up, Emily eased into a crouch and looked around the group, hands flying as she adjusted and corrected her friends until their uniforms and camo paint was perfect.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Every instinct on alert, Zeke and Emily came in from the flanks and crouched behind Taylor and Myron, listening and watching all around them.  
'Alright, we set up a false bivouac here and we settle in. We wait till after dark, we go about 200 meters back then I want an arms length perimeter all the way around. Absolute noise discipline, communication by touch only.' Myron instructed, still happy with the calls he'd made regarding the team. With the instructions received, Emily and Zeke headed back down the line to spread the news using a bastardised form of sign language Slash and Blade had taught them.

Settling back, Decal and Tar kept their hands out of sight and talked, keeping to the absolute noise discipline order but still sharing a joke or two. Myron caught them out and tapped Tar on the shoulder, barking at them with his fingers before settling down and closing his eyes. Nodding slowly, Tar got comfortable and drifted off to sleep. It didn't take long for everyone to drift away, safe in the knowledge Ruiz was watching out for them.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Glancing up at the sky for a moment, Ruiz reached out and tugged lightly on Kawasaki's rifle, knowing it would be enough to wake the dark mouse. Eyes popping open, he looked at Ruiz and nodded faintly before rolling over and nudging Zeke lightly. Head coming up, Zeke adjusted his grip on his rifle and reached out to squeeze Decal's shoulder. Tail tip flicking just a little, Decal toed Tar a couple times until he stirred and rolled onto his back to wake Myron. Scratching his nose quickly, Myron reached out and gently tugged on the radio until Carbon lifted his head and laid his hand on Myron's wrist. Rifle tucked in close, Carbon reached out and pushed Taylor softly until he stirred and passed the message on to Revs. Gaze drifting left, Revs wasn't at all surprised to find Emily was already awake and ready to move out.

Sterilising their camp quickly, the group waited for the signal from Myron and kept an eye on the four ARVN troops they were working with. Fluffing up the grass by touch, Emily nodded and moved off, the rest of the unit stringing out and keeping to their positions without fault as they moved out towards the river.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Dozing peacefully, Raider kept half an eye on Percell and sighed, knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop the downward spiral the young country boy was on. Rolling over, Raider closed his eyes and let his mind drift back towards sleep as Danny sat up and pulled a pill bottle from his footlocker.

The sudden slamming of the hootch door shocked both soldiers and they jumped, sending Raider off his rack and onto the hard floor.  
'Good god almighty.' Danny yelped, whipping around to see what was going on.  
'I do believe it's spec-4 Percell.' the Sergeant called, standing just inside the door.  
'What'd you do that for?' Raider asked, getting to his feet and rubbing his nose.  
'I'm Sergeant Hannigan son. I wanted to make sure you were awake and ready for your day's assignment.' he replied, walking over to where Danny was still trying to calm down.  
'Great, just fucking great. I get woken all because you stepped in it Percell. Thanks man, thanks a lot.' Raider growled, sinking back onto his rack and grabbing his boots.  
'What assignment?' Danny asked, too dazed to register what Raider had said.  
'Why, something that'll let the army avail itself of your refined sensibilities. You're burning the outhouse.' Hannigan replied, glancing at Raider for a moment.  
'Oh no way. That detail's for cherries.' Danny argued, whipping around to stare at Hannigan again.  
'Cherries and screw-ups son. Lemme just try to figure out where you fit in.' Hannigan corrected, staring Danny down.  
'Look, you gotta give me a break Sarge. Um, I can't work all day on an empty stomach. I mean, I gotta have breakfast.' Danny tried, desperate to get out of this one.  
'Just do it Danny, I wanna go back to chilling out.' Raider snapped, lacing up his boots and rising.  
'Climb into your clothes son. The scatters of this mans army waits for no one. Besides, you go on latrine duty with a full gorge, you'll just blow it the first barrel you whiff anyway.' Hannigan ordered, managing a nasty smile.  
'Have fun Percell.' Raider smirked, grabbing his jacket and pistol and leaving the hootch.  
'So much for bros.' Danny muttered, starting to get dressed.  
'I heard that Percell.' Raider retorted, not at all sorry for the predicament Danny was now trying to deal with.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hunkered low in the undergrowth, the snatch team passed instructions and orders back and forth with ease, moving into place as per Zeke's hand signals as Emily sent Decal out on a closer observation path as per Myron's instructions. He kept a sharp eye on everything through his binoculars and kept up a mental tally of all the details he would need to know. Decal soon returned and gave his own report, detailing all he'd seen on the side of the enemy position and the risks of the division being in a position to do anything to stop them. Myron nodded sharply and adjusted his mental tally quickly as Decal scampered off to take up his new position.

Creeping forward with Taylor and Myron, Emily moved without a sound and kept one eye on Myron's hands for instructions as they moved up to a position right near the enemy camp. Hugging the bamboo wall, Zeke waited for the first guard to come on range before coming around and wrapping his right hand over the guards mouth to keep him quiet as he sunk a knife into the mans' back and lowered him to the ground silently before dragging him out of sight. On the other side of the camp, Emily crept up on the other guard and grabbed him firmly around the neck. Before he could get off a warning, she twisted brutally to the right and lowered him to the ground, the soft snap of his neck lost in the jungle sounds. The third guard went down just as quickly to a silenced bullet from Taylor. This guard did let out a sound but amid the calls of jungle birds, it too was lost. With the path now mostly clear, Emily melted back into the jungle as Taylor, Zeke and Myron moved up to capture the prisoner.

From his place in the scrub, Revs watched in disbelief as one of the four ARVN troops put his rifle down and drew his knife silently before lunging at the man beside him and sinking the knife into his back. Easing back, Revs let the problem man moved forward before following him. Revs wasn't sure what to do but he had to try and stop this renegade before anyone got hurt.

Moving silently, Revs let the renegade soldier get comfortable in his new spot before the medic pulled his knife and got ready. Swearing under his breath at the sharp crack of the rifle, Revs let fly with his knife. It thudded home into the enemy neck, killing the lone gunman instantly. Grinning faintly, Emily let Revs' actions go and moved into a covering position, helping take down the nine men that came out of another tent. Once things quietened down again, Zeke and Myron got their target moving as Taylor blew the radio and took off with the rest of the team.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Looking around the team again, Emily relaxed and closed her eyes for a moment.  
'He's gonna do alright LT. It's a pretty clean wound. This blood expander's gonna hold him until we get back to Barnett.' Revs nodded, still thinking about what he'd done.  
'LT, I suggest we get outta here now before someone comes running to see what that noise was all about.' Zeke added, alert and watchful as always. Opening her eyes again, Emily gently eased the dead ARVN soldier onto her shoulders and settled his weight quickly.  
'Sarge, that's a righteous thing you're doing but why?' Taylor asked, coming over to Emily's side.  
'These guys see we're willing to do it for them, when our time comes, maybe they'll be willing to do it for us.' Emily explained, heading off after Myron and Revs without complaint.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Enjoying a quiet drink with the guys last night, Emily and Hockenbury perched at the bar as Taylor and Ruiz made themselves comfortable at one of the tables with some other GI and yet another hooker.  
'Cheap beer and even cheaper women, makes me glad I am who I am.' Emily uttered, knowing she had to keep her voice down to avoid problems.  
'Don't you ever get lonely being the only one here though?' Hockenbury asked, sipping his beer.  
'Nah, I'm well past feeling anything at being the odd one out. Back home I'm the only woman who does what I do the way I do it and that makes me special. To be honest, I doubt Zeke could handle what I put up with on a near daily basis.' Emily shrugged, wondering just how much she should tell Hockenbury given his argument against the war.  
'What is it you actually do?' Hockenbury asked but Emily's focus had been diverted away from their conversation.

Four men had ambled up to Taylor and Ruiz, looking like they were ready for a fight and already had their targets picked out.  
'Just want you guys to know that that was a damn cheap shot that your man Goldman took on Lieutenant Beller.' one warned, hands in his pockets.  
'LT just told what he saw in the ville after you sicko's went and took target practise out on those civilians.' Taylor replied, not happy his evening had been disturbed.  
'There it is. Beller's got it coming, no matter what it is.' Ruiz added, firing up just a little.  
'You weren't there, you got no idea what went down.'  
'LT's a good man and a good officer. And we had a good platoon.'  
'Yep, and you're all good shots too. Nailed some of those kids with one bullet. Pretty hard to do, what with them runnin'.' Emily replied, getting to her feet and turning to the four trouble makers.  
'It ain't right to break up a platoon. We were a team man.'  
'Break up a platoon? What do you mean?' Ruiz asked, unconcerned while Emily was around to watch their butts.  
'I mean transfers, I mean early outs. They're replacing all of us.'  
'Yeah, one, two men to a post. No way you can stay with your buddies.'  
'Yeah, well that oughta raise the intelligence level around this place I'd say.' Taylor countered with a laugh.  
'Wait a minute. Don't you guys see what's going on here? You see, see the army is gonna get rid of these maniacs before word gets outside about what happened. Cause the army doesn't want to get a black eye, right? So, they're gonna let these psychotics off the hook.' Doc added, ambling over to the group.  
'You'd better shut up man.'  
'You can't hurt me man. I'm not a three year old kid, man. I'm not an old man, man.' Doc snapped, getting right into the troublemaker's face.  
'Hockenbury, leave it!' Emily snapped, moving back as one of the four gave Hockenbury a sharp shove back towards the bar.

He connected heavily and sagged to the floor, a bruise already forming where his temple had hit the bar.  
'Nobody, but nobody pushes my friends around!' Emily barked, whipping around and driving her fist into his face, sending him back and down hard. 'Taylor! Ruiz! Grab Doc and go, I'll handle these assholes!' she hollered, falling into her old routines as the four men surrounded her.  
'I thought you didn't like this smart mouthed jerk!'  
'Like or not, he's still our smart mouthed jerk.' Emily shot back, pounding another to the floor as her friends took off out of the club.

Within minutes it was over, the four men lay dazed and bleeding on the floor as Emily panted for breath, still standing tall and strong.  
'Nobody lays a hand on my boys and gets away with it. Team Viking is off limits to you fuckers!' she screamed, laying a few dollars extra on the bar and storming out to find her friends. Amazingly, she got away clean, no one gave her identity to the MP's charging into the bar.

Spotting the trio nearby, she jogged over and grinned, wiping the blood from her face.  
'You never answered my question Em. What is it you actually do back home?' Hockenbury asked as they headed to find another bar.  
'Knowing you Doc, you'd crack it royally if I told you what I do. But then, most soldiers would crack it so I can't blame it all on the fact you don't believe in the war.' Emily shrugged, dabbing at her split lip lightly.  
'Nah, you're one of us Em. Besides, what you do back there has no affect on what you do here.' Taylor grinned, draping one arm around her shoulders.  
'Well yeah, it does actually Taylor. If not for what I do back home, I wouldn't be half as dangerous as I am here.' Emily replied, nervous about admitting her true job.  
'Come on Em, it's not like we'd abandon you or anything. You're our mate, plain and simple.' Ruiz added, laying a hand on her shoulder.  
'well…alright but you gotta swear you won't tell a soul.' Emily agreed, looking around the group and waiting until they all nodded. 'I work for whoever can pay me the big money, government or not and I have no loyalty to any particular country. I'm a…greenbacker by trade.' she admitted, dropping her gaze.  
'I knew there was something special about you Em. I just knew it.' Taylor grinned, squeezing her shoulders quickly.  
'You guys aren't mad? I thought most soldiers hated the mercenary forces the government hires.' Emily asked, gaze snapping back up to look at them.  
'Hell no, it explains a lot actually. You've taught us so much and we're grateful to have you around.' Ruiz nodded, leading them into another bar.  
'Well alright then. Now can we try and stay out of trouble this time? I really don't feel like getting into another fight tonight.' Emily chuckled, settling at the bar and ordering a round.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Finishing up with his patients, Revs smiled softly and looked over to where Hockenbury was helping out with the unpacking and storing of the supplies they'd brought along.  
'What sweet faces of tender youth, what innocent laughter past tongue and tooth. Look up and smile as only you can, feel the love of each day my young man. You are the future, happy and bright, burst forth and chase away the night. We fight for you and all your kind, to keep you safe and free of mind. My daughter and son, my life and fun, for you alone I run.' he uttered, remembering the poem his mother had kept on the wall all through his youth.

Getting to his feet, Revs patted Johnny on the shoulder and headed for the jeep, Hockenbury walking over to join him a few moments later.  
'Lay back and sleep, make not a peep. The night grows dark, in home and park. My daughter and son, dream sweet of fun. Tomorrow I ride the desert wave, while you stay safe in this ancient cave. By fire light I think and pray, that you will never see my day. I fear for you and all your kind, will one day have to stand up and die. By desert wind and star bright, I let my life fill with light. Be free my daughter and my son, never lose your innocence and fun.' he continued, thoughts turning to his sister and parents now long dead and gone.  
'What was that?' Hockenbury asked, not sure he should ask.  
'It's a poem my father wrote one night when he was home. He called it Faces of Tender Youth.' Revs replied, snapping his thoughts back to his present situation.  
'You know, I really like talking with you, there just never seems to be enough time. Look, would you have dinner with me? No, of course you can't and I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell I'm…' Johnny hissed, having been trying so hard not to swear in front of the nuns. 'I'm sorry.'  
'Could I ask you a favour?' Sister Bernadette asked, brushing off his mistake quickly.  
'Well sure, anything.' Johnny nodded, grateful for the silent forgiveness.  
'A carton of books is being sent to us from Paris. I need to see the agent in Saigon to find out if it has arrived. We can talk on the way.' Sister Bernadette explained, smiling softly at Johnny.  
'Back you come Hockenbury.' Revs grinned, getting comfortable on one of the wheel wells.  
'Outstanding. Look, I'm not doing a favour for you, you're doing one for me.' Johnny chuckled softly, leading Sister Bernadette over to the jeep as Hockenbury climbed into the back and got settled in.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sitting in the rear of the jeep, Revs watched the people rushing past and got to his feet, trying to see over the heads in front.  
'Something's happened. Grab your gear Hockenbury, we might be needed.' he called, snatching up his medkit and heading off towards the source of interest with Johnny and Sister Bernadette joining them a few moments later.

Squeezing through the crowd, the small group couldn't believe their eyes as the Buddhist from the orphanage doused her body with gasoline and put the can aside.  
'Oh god, please not this. Turn away Sister, you don't need to see this. Revs gasped, gaze filled with terror and helplessness as he looked at Bernadette.  
'Perhaps you are right.' she nodded, one hand wrapped around the crucifix she wore and turned away from the horror show about to start. Putting down the can, the older lady picked up a lighter and sparked it to life.  
'Not this again.' Revs muttered, sick to his stomach as the women went up in a ball of fire. Hockenbury turned his gaze away and took off, finding a quiet corner to throw up in as Johnny just looked on in horror.

#$~$#@#$~$#

After dropping Sister Bernadette and her precious books off, Johnny, Revs and Hockenbury headed back to base and tried to make sense of what they'd witnessed.  
'I can't stop seeing it.' Johnny uttered, glancing at Revs beside him. 'I don't understand it.'  
'She's not unlike some of our own martyrs, who allowed themselves to die at the hands of others.' Revs sighed, tapping Johnny's shoulder and bailing as the jeep slowed.

Bent double in the darkness, Revs puked up all he had and spat a few times before heading back to the jeep and climbing aboard.  
'I still don't get why.' Hockenbury remarked, still looking rather green around the gills.  
'Neither do I Hockenbury but that don't change a thing. At least she didn't scream, it's the loud ones that are even harder to take.' Revs replied, not liking the shell shocked look on Johnny's face as he drove them home.  
'You've seen a few then?' Hockenbury asked, sitting up a little more.  
'More than my fair share. Some are harder than others but all are impossible to forget.' Revs nodded, memories slamming into his mind.


	21. Rebuilding The Team

Perched on a pile of sandbags, Emily looked around at their collapsing team and sighed before turning her attention back to the notebook spread out on her lap.  
'What have you got there Em?' Zeke asked, ambling over and putting one foot up on the wall, arms resting on the raised knee.  
'Just working out a few fun activities we could do as a team. I'm noticing a few minor disharmonies that could turn into big problems if we don't get them sorted out fairly quickly.' Emily replied, checking the list again and crossing another idea out.  
'I've never heard of some of these Em. What's All Aboard?' Zeke nodded, reading over Emily's shoulder quickly.  
'Ah, that is one of my personal favourites. You go get the team together and tell them to meet me over here. I'll go grab the gear we need and we can get started.' Emily grinned, rolling to her feet and jogging off.  
'McKay too?' Zeke called after her, already on the move.  
'Yeah, McKay too. No excuses Zeke, I want everyone here.' Emily confirmed before disappearing out of sight.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Laying the tarp out on the floor, Emily looked the team over and grinned as they looked around in confusion.  
'What's going on Em?' Taylor asked, eyeing the tarp for a moment longer.  
'We're going to do a few little team building exercises together. I do these with 14 all the time, to keep the group strong and the camaraderie alive. First off we're going to try All Aboard, a nice simple game to get everyone thinking and pulling together. Everybody on the tarp, both feet.' Emily explained, stepping onto the tarp.  
'And this is supposed to help how?' Hockenbury asked, looking at Revs as the black medic pulled him onto the tarp.  
'This starts easy but only gets harder. Now everyone off.' Emily grinned, stepping clear and folding the tarp in half.

Stepping up again, the group suddenly realised what Emily was getting at as the found themselves pressed in a little closer. Nodding slowly, Emily moved off and folded the tarp again before welcoming the men back onto the quartered tarp.  
'Well, if we weren't friends before, we will be after this.' Zeke grinned, one hand on Myron's back to keep him balanced.  
'That's half the point Zeke. Talk it through guys, communicate and cooperate.' Emily replied, moulding in against Johnny and Revs to get both feet on the tarp.  
'So how far are we going?' Myron asked, wobbling for a moment.  
'Far as we can LT.' Emily offered, slipping off and halving the space again.  
'I'm all for being friendly but this is getting tight.' Johnny remarked, sucking in and squeezing in against Shard.  
'If we get through this one, we can move to another game.' Emily promised, snugging up against Myron's back.  
'Oww! Who's on my foot?' Zeke yelped, trying to look down but the crush of bodies made it hard.  
'Sorry but if I move it, we'll all fall.' Tank replied, grateful Falcon wasn't with them anymore.

Stepping off the tarp again, Emily waited for everyone to hop off before picking it up and throwing it over the sandbags behind them.  
'This time we're going to have a go at Human Knot. Myron, you're in charge of this one, the instructions are written in my notebook.' Emily instructed, indicating the leather bound book sitting nearby. Walking over and picking it up, Myron flicked through the pages until he found the right page. Reading the neat instruction carefully, Myron blinked and grinned, understanding dawning across his face.  
'Okay, everyone form a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone put their hands in and grab two others, make sure they belong to different people.' Myron guided, walking around the group as they shuffled around and grabbed on, making their hands firm so the pulling that was about to come wouldn't break their connections.

Nodding slowly, Myron checked the instructions again to make sure he was right before patting Johnny and Decal on the back.  
'Now you get to untangle yourselves. No letting go, you've got to work with what you've got here and now.' he grinned, moving around the group as they started trying to figure out how to get back into a circle.  
'Zeke, not that way. Johnson, step over Taylor's arm. Ruiz, you duck under Hockenbury.' Revs instructed, still firmly pinned between Zeke and Tank.  
'No, that's not helping. Gah, quit yanking on my shoulder Johnny.' Emily yelped, pulling McKay back a little before he really did her left shoulder some damage.  
'Decal, try going over Johnson's arm…no, that's not it either.' Hockenbury suggested, getting a little frustrated with the situation.  
'Man, this is harder than it looks. Kawasaki, can you get up under Strap's arm…damn, thought that was going to help.' Raider sighed, looking over his shoulder now that he'd been pulled around in a half circle.

#$~$#@#$~$#

After almost an hour of grunting, swearing and trying different things, the group finally had themselves sorted out in three interlocked circles.  
'Man that was a challenge.' Phantom remarked, rubbing his shoulder lightly.  
'Least you didn't have to climb over Shard.' Ru replied, letting go as the group moved into a more relaxed gathering.  
'You think Shard is difficult to get over, try climbing over Falcon.' Tar grinned, patting Tank on the back lightly.  
'So what now LT?' Zeke asked, running one hand through his hair.  
'Just pick another one in the book. I made sure the ones there wouldn't cause too many problems…but Colonel Brewster might think we're losing our minds.' Emily chuckled, looking at the pile of equipment on the ground as Myron started flicking through her notebook.

Spotting one that looked like a lot of fun, Myron walked over and grabbed the bundle marked for the game and tossed it to Emily.  
'Alright, multi way tug of war. I say squad on squad and we'll put McKay in to fill for Percell.' Emily nodded, untying the bundle and starting to spread out the four long ropes and mark out the four win lines in the ground.  
'Say, where is Percell?' Johnny asked, moving into place on one of the ropes.  
'Deserted the unit, not sure where he went.' Zeke shrugged, moving into place opposite Emily.  
'Take up the slack!' Myron called, holding the central ring in place as the four Sergeants pulled hard against each other, the rest of the men adding to the pressure. 'Heave!' Myron barked, backing away quickly as the men started pulling and trying to yank each other around.  
'Revs, spin it!' Emily called, digging her feet in and lugging back as her team anchor.  
'You got it Em.' Revs nodded, guiding his squad around so they added to the strength pulling against Zeke's team.  
'Saki, come on over here.' Zeke countered, feet sliding a little as he tried to anchor their team.  
'Got ya back Zeke.' Kawasaki nodded, swinging his line across so it became two teams on each side of the central ring.  
'One…two…three…heave!' Revs howled, toes digging in as they yanked the rope and sent Zeke and Kawasaki sliding.  
'Come on guys, pull!' Kawasaki coaxed, managing to stop his slide and yank the ring back into the middle of the game zone.  
'This is getting us nowhere fast. Goldman's shout for the winning team!' McKay crowed, scrabbling in the dust for a moment as Zeke and Kawasaki yanked hard.  
'Now ya talkin'. Come on boys, heave.' Revs grinned, angling his squad back out on their own.  
'Yeah, we can do this.' Kawasaki nodded, swinging around to square off against Revs again.  
'Oy.' Myron sighed, knowing there was no point arguing with the guys now that the bet had been made, even though he hadn't been the one to make the bet.

Digging his feet in and straining, Tank pulled in the slack slowly but surely, trusting in Zeke to take up the offered slack and do something with it. Shard had the same idea though and swung around to pull on a better angle, sending Zeke back towards his group. Taylor shoved Shard back around and dug in, looking along the rope and straight at Ruiz.  
'Come on guys, the sooner we win, the sooner we can have lunch!' Emily coached, leaning back heavily against the rope and backing away.  
'That's it, pull!' Zeke roared, almost landing in the dirt as the strain against him moved again.

Watching the display in amazement, Myron couldn't believe the way his men pulled and worked, swinging and moving around to jerk each other off balance before moving back again. Then finally the balance shifted too far and Revs' team took the win, leaving everyone else in the dust.  
'Go get some chow guys. We meet back here in an hour.' he called, helping Johnny to his feet.  
'See, told ya this could be fun.' Emily chuckled, patting Zeke on the back as the group walked away happily.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Relaxed and comfortable, the guys waited as Emily briefed Colonel Brewster on the idea behind these slightly crazy games and even invited him to pick from the list of games.  
'Well, I suppose one quick one can't hurt. How about ha-ha.' Brewster nodded, looking around the group slowly.  
'Awesome, I love ha-ha. Zeke, come lie down on your back.' Decal grinned, patting the dirt beside him. Glancing at Emily for a second, Zeke shrugged and sunk down comfortably and nearly jumped as Decal stretched out and settled his head on Zeke's abdomen.   
'So how do you play ha-ha?' Hockenbury asked, plopping down and laying his head on Raider's stomach.  
'This one is real easy. Zeke starts of by saying ha. Then whoever is next says ha-ha. Third person goes ha-ha-ha. So on it goes around. There are two objectives, try not to laugh and don't forget where you're at.' Speed explained, taking his place in the crazy snake on the ground.  
'That doesn't seem too hard.' Johnny mused, settling comfortably on the ground.  
'We'll see Johnny, we'll see.' Emily grinned, sinking down and putting her head on Ruiz's stomach lightly.

With everyone down, Zeke shrugged and set them off. It all went smoothly for a while until Strap cracked up laughing and they had to start again. Going through again, this time it was Thunder who laughed and that set Myron off. It didn't take long to have everyone lost in fits of uncontrollable laughter, rolling around and having a ball together.  
'Now I see what you mean Emily, this is kinda fun.' Brewster nodded, stripping off his rank and settling down among the men for another attempt at the game.

#$~$#@#$~$#

After a wonderful day of fun and laughter, Emily pulled out one last game and waved the guys into a nice big circle.  
'Just for a bit of shits and giggles, we're going to play Wobbly Broomstick. I let this one till last because we're all about to get incredibly dizzy. Johnny, step up.' Emily grinned, picking up the long stick she'd thrown into the middle of the circle.  
'What do I do this time?' Johnny asked, looking at the stick.  
'Hold the stick upright on your chin, look at the top and spin around fifteen times. When you've finished spinning, throw the stick down and jump over it. Try not to fall but if you do, we'll catch you.' Emily explained, handing him the stick and moving back.

Listening to the steady count around him, Johnny spun around and around, lost in the euphoria welling in his chest.  
'fifteen.' dropping the stick, he staggered and tried to sort out the whirling picture in front of his eyes but eventually succumbed and stumbled, landing safely in Hockenbury's arms.  
'Whoa, what a rush.' Johnny uttered, allowing the young medic to lead him away and sit him down safely.  
'I'll have a go.' Decal grinned, stepping up and grabbing the stick. Whirling around fast, Decal made it through the fifteen and dropped the stick. Blinking for a moment, he sorted out the real from the visions and jumped over. The landing let him down though and he stumbled, landing in a rather undignified heap as Myron's feet.  
'Not bad Dec, not bad at all.' Myron grinned, easing Decal up and guiding him over to sit beside Johnny.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Day turned to night as the last of the guys tried and failed to spin and jump the stick, landing in heaps on the ground or crashing into each other.  
'Come on guys, bed time. I'll pack this stuff away tomorrow.' Emily grinned, stacking everything up by the sandbag wall quickly.  
'Don't think I can move.' Myron uttered, lifting his head and willing the camp to stop spinning.  
'Come on you layabout, up we go.' Emily sighed, hauling Myron to his feet and tucking him in under one arm before dragging Johnny up and holding him close too.  
'You be alright with those two Em?' Zeke asked, hauling Taylor over his shoulder before dragging Ruiz up too.  
'Yeah, nothing to it. Revs, can you grab Hockenbury?' Emily nodded, making her way across the camp towards the officer hootches.  
'I'm struggling to move as it is Em.' Revs replied, crawling slowly towards the team hootch.  
'Come on Revs, this way.' Decal offered, grabbing Revs by the collar and leading him towards the team hootch as Revs wobbled and tried to keep straight amongst the spinning landmarks.  
'Who needs booze? This is great.' Scorpion chuckled, dragging Hockenbury up and staggering away, only to trip over his own two feet and hit the ground again.  
'Watch it ya klutz.' Hockenbury grumbled, starting his own slow crawl after Revs.  
'Crawling is good, less distance to fall.' Tank agreed, staggering drunkenly after his friends.  
'What a day.' Johnny sighed, head resting on Emily's shoulder.  
'I hear ya there LT.' Emily nodded, careful not to let either man fall as they walked away.


	22. Thanks For The Memories

Hands shoved in his pockets, Kawasaki stuck in close beside Percell as they walked back towards the psyche ward.  
'Lieutenant McKay came to see me; he said something about Colonel Brewster being in trouble with the higher highers.' Danny sighed, arms folded across his chest.  
'Yeah, although when you make your career out of sticking your neck out, sooner or later someone's gonna chop it off.' Kawasaki agreed, relieved Danny was back with them.  
'Sarge, I sure hope it doesn't have anything to do with me. I owe that guy a lot. He went above and beyond for me when I was AWOL.' Danny nodded, grateful Kawasaki was still talking to him after what he'd done.  
'Well, Brewster goes above and beyond for all his men. He's a very good officer. Army needs more like him.' Kawasaki replied, stopping outside the building. 'Well Percell, this is as far as I go. I got some things I gotta do, and I suppose you oughta get on back in the ward.'  
'Sarge, I been in psyche ward a week now. Cleaned up myself, I cleaned up my act. I'm feeling good, why do I need someone messing with my head?' Danny asked, not looking forward to going back inside.  
'Come on Percell, don't do this. You got a problem. Now you cleaned up your act, that's the first step. I'm not an expert but it seems to me the second step would be finding out why you had the problem in the first place. Do you trust me?' Kawasaki grinned, wishing Revs was around to help him out with this.  
'Yeah. Yeah Sarge, I trust ya.' Danny nodded, even managing a faint grin.  
'Alright then, get on back in there. Do some good.' Kawasaki replied, slapping Danny gently over the head before walking away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

'Happy thanksgiving Emily.' jolting awake, Emily grabbed the hand on her shoulder and squeezed even as she flipped over and stood. 'Easy Em, easy. It's just me, Myron.' the offended yelped, trying to roll with the pressure before his shoulder popped out of its socket.  
'What do you think you're doing LT? I coulda killed ya.' Emily sighed, releasing Myron and stepping back.  
'Colonel Brewster wants us on the helipad in ten minutes. We're going after a major enemy fuel depot.' Myron explained, turning away to wake Zeke as Emily dressed and grabbed her gear.  
'So who do we have this time around LT?' Emily asked, grabbing one of Zeke's boots and pelting it at him when he was a bit too slow to rouse.  
'Taylor, Johnson, Ruiz, Hockenbury, Decal, Raider, Splat, Speed and us.' Myron listed, moving back as Zeke surged up and glared at Emily.  
'Nice of you to join us Zeke. Get dressed, skids up in seven.' Emily nodded, turning and hustling out to make sure everyone was ready to go.

Running for the helipad, Zeke did a quick headcount and nodded before bounding into the chopper and getting settled as it took off into the pre-dawn light.  
'The blue line is the Ho Chi Mihn trail between Bin Long and Saigon. The X's mark truck sightings by US intelligence. Now my theory is the enemy has a half dozen large fuel dumps in the south located equidistance from each other, 175 klicks, based on the average range of the average truck. My gut tells me that one of these dumps is within a three mile radius of point 8. So let's find it.' Brewster explained, map held firm in one hand.  
'Nice crew choice if that's the plan. Ol' Charlie's not gonna know what hit him.' Splat called, adjusting his demolitions gear quickly.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hearing the pain cry of something, Decal glanced at Emily for permission before heading out to investigate. The rest of the group hung back a little as he crept forward, Zeke coming up to back him up as the headed deeper into the scrub.  
'If not for all the greenery, this could be any Sand Raider attack back home.' Speed remarked, moving into the line snaking through the scrub.

Stepping light, Decal zeroed in on the location and gently pushed the foliage aside to see what was on the other side. He got quite the shock when a white blur flattered past him with a shocked cry and headed into the sky. Panting lightly, he looked again and saw a large black and white bird standing there putting out the pained cries as its natural call.  
'oops.' he uttered, turning back to the team and offering a small shrug.  
'Never mind Dec, we all screw up.' Zeke grinned, getting the team back on track and moving in the right direction.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Waiting patiently, Revs glanced over to where Johnny was getting told off and sighed softly.  
'The sooner we get outta here, the better. I don't know how much longer I can put up with this place. All the rules and regs, it's enough to drive a guy to drink.' he muttered, digging out his cigarettes and lighting up.  
'Man, you look like someone just kicked your puppy or something.' Johnny grinned, finally finished with the General.  
'Nah, just tired of Viet-fucking-Nam. I'm more than ready to get outta here, can't stand all the restrictions. Back home, we don't salute our officers and rarely, if ever, bother with ranks. It's all first names and friendly teasing, none of this bull.' Revs shrugged, offering a salute to a passing Lieutenant heading in the other direction.  
'Hang on, how's it work if there's no distinction between officer, NCO and grunt?' Johnny asked, not seeing how order was maintained.  
'You're an idiot Johnny, our army isn't like this one. Don't try and put our ways to this army, you'll never get it right. You never met our CO Blade but when his rank was translated across he went from Two-Star General down to Captain but was still doing the same job. Slash is a Lieutenant Commander and dropped to LT so he could maintain his position in our team. Here I'm Sergeant Revs Remington, team medic, but back home my full title is Commander Revs, CMO for Stand Alone Unit 14. In all technicalities, I'm over qualified for his position, way over qualified. I'm a fully trained doctor back home, capable of handling everything from a paper cut to full blown surgery. If it came down to it, I can save a life in the mud of the field. I'm also a fully qualified dentist, but no one seems to notice what I'm capable of. I'm just another medic here and that's a tough pill to swallow.' Revs explained, his emotions welling up into a rant before he could stop.  
'A dentist huh? Reckon I can get a check? Gotta keep my pearly whites looking the very best I can.' Johnny grinned, one arm around Revs' shoulders as they walked away.  
'Yeah, I guess I can do that. I'll go grab my other kit and meet you back at your hootch. Get comfy, I won't be long.' Revs nodded, slipping away from Johnny and darting off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Stopping to look, Hockenbury stared at the foliage beside the half worn track and blinked before looking again.  
'Sarge.' he called softly, hoping he had this right.  
'LT, hold it.' Emily instructed, moving back to check on Hockenbury.  
'Camouflage.' Hockenbury nodded, pointing out the material among the flora.  
'Well spotted.' Emily praised, moving towards the netting and waving for the rest of the guys to follow her.

Making her way slowly down this new track, Emily kept her eyes on the surrounding scrub and trusted in the guys behind to watch her back. Taking another step she froze and broke out into a cold sweat as the ground moved wrong and a dull clunk rang out.  
'Zeke, do something.' she uttered, glancing to the right as Zeke came up beside her.  
'Be still now. Don't move.' Zeke soothed, taking a knee beside her. Slipping his knife free, he laid it flat on his hand and started probing around, determined to get Emily out of danger.  
'Nice and calm Em, you'll be alright.' Raider nodded, readying his rope just in case things didn't go Zeke's way.  
'You're gonna live.' Zeke grinned, looking up at Emily. Stepping back slowly, Emily let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and knelt before Zeke.

Together they scraped and pulled the covering away to reveal several barrels buried in the ground.  
'Looky here Em, just looky here.' Zeke grinned, putting his knife away quickly.  
'Talk about being lucky huh.' Emily replied, grateful for her second chance.  
'Luck ain't got nothin' to do with it. Brewster had a theory.' Zeke shrugged, starting to look for more barrels as the rest of the group moved up.  
'I don't like staking my life on gut feelings and theories.' Emily hissed, moving aside as Brewster flashed them a thumbs up.

Moving among the trees, the small team kept uncovering more and more barrels of fuel, surprising everyone as to the size of the cache. Pulling back another cover, Splat spotted a small enemy patrol and quickly ducked out of sight, the rest of the group catching his signal and following suit. Decal listened and memorised the conversations for later, not sure if they would help but he was never one to miss an opportunity to show off. Keeping his ears on the enemy, he watched Zeke and Emily for signals and darted away as he got the one aimed at him.

Matching up on her target, Emily lunged and got one of the enemy into a quick headlock before snapping his neck in one smooth move. Zeke made short work of another with a knife and sudden movement. Myron was in the thick of things too, suppressed pistol letting off two shots. Decal too got involved, tail wrapping around his neck and squeezed until the VC soldier dropped dead. Raider got the last one, stealing him away from Brewster and slitting his throat quickly. With their job done, the five killers silently headed back to the rest of the group.

Now that the enemy had been dealt with, Raider and Splat handed out the explosive packages and got to work quickly.  
'Three minute time delay guys.' Splat warned, packing his charge down tight.  
'This place is gonna blow sky high. Can we get out that fast?' Johnson asked, packing down another charge.  
'Depends on how fast you can run.' Raider shrugged, turning to look at Brewster and nodding. Brewster replied the signal and yanked the friction detonator, starting the timer. Quick as a flash, the rest of the guys yanked their detonators and turned to go.  
'Charlie three o'clock!' Hockenbury howled, freezing up as the last enemy soldier raised his weapon and aimed. Quick as a flash the men scattered and Splat tackled Hockenbury down.

Ruiz was in the best position and nailed the enemy soldier before he could get off a shot. His job done, Ruiz turned and ran for safety.  
'Thanks man.' Hockenbury grinned, getting to his feet.  
'Don't worry about it, just run.' Splat replied, turning and sprinting off with the rest of the team.

Running hard, the team shot down the narrow track and tried to put as much distance between them and the boom that was about to happen. Time ran out and the first explosion went off, the rest of the bombs going off in rapid succession. The shockwave soon caught up, sending the fleeing men to the ground hard as a massive fireball burst into the sky. Letting out a roar of pain, Emily grabbed her left shoulder and rolled, the pain making her extremely nauseous.  
'Em, are you okay?' Hockenbury asked, scrabbling over to her.  
'What's it look like Doc? Damnit, of all the days Revs had to sit out. Zeke, Myron, get over here and help me!' Raider snapped, coming over and kneeling behind Emily.  
'What do you need Raider?' Myron asked, joining the group.  
'Just do it.' Emily hissed, teeth gritted in pain.  
'Okay, okay. You two, hold her tight. This always hurts like hell but it's got to be done.' Raider nodded, adjusting his grip as Zeke and Myron looked at each other for a moment.  
'Myron, lay down and pin her legs under your chest. Zeke, get around behind Em and wrap your arms around her upper body, making sure you pin her right arm down.' Decal instructed, giving Myron a shove before coming around and shoving his bandana between Emily's teeth.  
'Come on, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get moving.' Raider barked, laying his hand over Emily's left shoulder and grabbing her wrist.

Waiting a moment for everyone to get a good strong grip on Emily, Raider closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not looking forward to having to do this.  
'Come on Raider, Em's counting on ya.' Splat coaxed, ready to jump in if he needed to.  
'Okay, here we go. Deep breath Em.' Raider nodded, tightening his grip and yanking hard. Emily howled around the gag and arched her back, tears in her eyes at the white hot agony coursing through her body.  
'Is it in right Em?' Decal asked, stroking her hair lightly as he took the gag.  
'Have another go Raider.' Emily growled, still in pain but it was lessening now that her shoulder was almost back in place.  
'Here Doc, you try it. I'm as likely to go to far.' Raider sighed, moving aside as Hockenbury came around to Emily's side.  
'I never learned how to do this safely.' he admitted, looking at Raider for help.  
'Right hand on her shoulder, left hand on her wrist and pull. Feel the joint in your right and keep working it until it pops back into place.' Speed directed, helping Myron readjusting his position.  
'Here goes nothing.' Hockenbury nodded, setting his position and grabbing hold.  
'Deep breath Em.' Decal uttered, giving her back the gag. Closing his eyes and focusing on what he could feel, Hockenbury gave Emily's arm a sharp pull and rolled it around a little until he was rewarded with the grating pop that signalled the joint returning to normal.  
'How was that Em?' he asked, releasing her shoulder.  
'Not too bad for a first attempt. It's gonna hurt for a while but nothing too serious.' Emily nodded, resting her head against Zeke's shoulder for a moment.  
'We'll gets Revs to check it when we get home but for now, this will have to do.' Speed sighed, digging out a length of olive drab fabric and turning it into a hasty sling.  
'You can get off me now guys, I'm okay.' Emily sighed, nudging Zeke lightly as Speed knelt beside her and gently fitted the sling into place.  
'What was that all about Emily?' Myron asked, getting to his feet and grabbing his weapon from where he'd left it.  
'Damn shoulder of mine is always giving me trouble. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't gone before now.' Emily explained, allowing Colonel Brewster to help her to her feet.  
'So how long will you be off the roster with that one?' Zeke asked, wanting to know how long he'd be without her help and support.  
'Give me a day or so and I'll be back. There's no point causing a stir, I'd rather avoid getting sent home on a medical discharge over this. Besides, I've never let this sort of injury stop me before.' Emily grinned, slinging her rifle over her good shoulder and drawing her pistol.  
'Emily, I insist you take at least a week. Your shoulder needs time to heal.' Myron countered, not happy with Emily's show of bravado.  
'Don't need it LT, never have. I first busted that shoulder in a wreck and three days later I was back in the air. Would have gone up sooner but it took me that damn long to get to one of my secondary hangers to get another plane. I know what I can handle and now that it's back in pace, I'll be fine.' Emily replied, taking her place in the line and heading back towards the LZ.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Touching down back at base, Emily jumped down and holstered her pistol, relaxed and calm as always. To look at her now, no one would know she was in any pain but Decal and the other mice knew better.  
'You men hold tight.' Brewster called, walking away with Zeke at his side.   
'If the Colonel has anymore theories he'd like to check out, I'd be happy to volunteer.' Zeke offered, a slight grin on his face.  
'I appreciate the vote of confidence Sergeant but after that show we put on at the fuel depot, I'll be lucky to stay in the army as a hootch maid.' Brewster replied, still hyped up after their success.  
'Excuse me Sir, but that's a pretty big score. Isn't that something for General Higgins?' McKay asked, catching up with the pair.  
'It is. It'll just tell him that I did it.' Brewster replied, flashing a quick smile before walking away.

Back at the bird, the rest of the group waited as per instructed and hated the fact they'd missed thanksgiving dinner.  
'Betcha all the turkey's gone.' Hockenbury groused, leaning on the door gun lightly. 'Did you ever see my turkey?'  
'This had better not be dirty Doc.' Speed remarked, setting the radio down lightly. Grinning slightly, Doc pulled off the best damn turkey impression anyone had ever heard.  
'That's as close to old Tom Turkey as we're gonna get this thanksgiving.' Taylor sighed, just a little peeved at Brewster for dragging them out into the field.  
'Man, my mom…she cooks the best turkey in the world. She turns is nice and slow until it's golden brown and it's never dry. Always moist and juicy.' Ruiz grinned, leaning against the bird.  
'No, no. You fellows have not tasted corn-bread stuffing until you've tasted my mother's. I'm talking plump and tender. With just the right amount of spices to give it that extra…' Johnson nodded, his description making Emily's mouth water.  
'Mmmm.' Taylor injected, eyes slipping closed for a moment.  
'Kick.' Johnson finished, happy to share his family tradition.  
'Yeah and sweet potatoes, you know, with marshmallows every place. And it's all like, it's all gooey and sticky. Oh man, you can get lost in there.' Doc added, mind slipping back to Memphis for a moment or two.  
'Cranberry sauce. I love cranberry sauce.' Raider nodded, wishing he was home to enjoy Christine's amazing thanksgiving feast.  
'No, wait, wait, wait, wait. Home made honey biscuits. Huh. I'm talking soft, sweet, hot honey biscuits.' Johnson temped, enjoying the look of dreamy bliss on Taylor's face.  
'Come on guys, move out.' Brewster called, returning to the helipad. 'Let's go.'

Trooping through the base, everyone was confused but willing to go along to see what was about to happen.  
'Where's he going?' Raider asked, keeping half an eye on Emily.  
'Looks like he's heading for the mess hall.' Ruiz replied, equally confused.  
'Wait, mess hall closes at seven, it's after ten.' Johnson added, not sure he wanted to know what was going on.  
'Okay guys, let's see if we can scrounge up some food.' Brewster cut in, a faint note in his voice telling Decal something was up.  
'Leftovers for thanksgiving Sir? Have you ever seen those green beanies pack it away?' Taylor asked, horrified at the thought.  
'After you Taylor.' Brewster replied, pushing the door open.

Filing inside, the exhausted team were amazed to find a table all set out for them and almost groaning under the weight of food.  
'Smell that.' Ruiz uttered, not able to see what was going on just yet.  
'Table for twelve Sergeant-Major?' Brewster asked, moving aside.  
'Oh wow, check it out.' Speed grinned, eyes wide at the spread.  
'Well, it's not quite a Christine special but it's good enough.' Splat added, admiring the spread.  
'Right this way Sir.' the Sergeant-Major replied, leading the group over to the table.  
'Come on guys, let's not stand on formality. Dig in.' Brewster nodded, starting a shoving match for the table.  
'Hey, watch it ya bastards!' Emily swore, clutching her shoulder as another wave of pain raced through her.  
'Oops, sorry Em. Here, ladies first.' Johnson offered, pulling out a chair for Emily.  
'At least one of ya has some manners. Thank you Marvin.' Emily nodded, sinking down and getting comfortable.  
'I don't believe this. I do not believe this.' Hockenbury grinned, finding a seat and settling.  
'Smell that bird Taylor.' Decal added, inhaling the delightful scents that never failed to take him home to Chicago.

Blocking out the conversation behind them, the happy team got organised and tucked into the food, passing things back and forth and sharing in the bounty set before them.  
'Cherila novasa le karishia mona letura movarisha duve. Arecha mentha kove le micnha kom napol tresurisha.' Raider uttered, bowing his head for a moment.  
'Arecha mentoria.' the other mice replied before hooking into the food.  
'Do I want to know?' Johnny asked, handing the sweet potatoes to Zeke.  
'Thanksgiving and Resha Malle match up nicely between the two calendars. Today is the day when all mice gather and lay down their weapons for a chance to reconcile old wrongs among families or even just two people. We pray to Ares that those we have wronged will forgive us just as we forgive them.' Emily explained, gratefully taking her portion of mashed potato from the bowl Johnson held for her.  
'Colonel, you gonna join us?' Johnson asked, tucking into the meal happily.  
'No, I've got a previous engagement Johnson. But I'm sure one of you can handle my portion.' Brewster grinned, the weight of his actions forgotten for a few moments.  
'Wounded first.' Emily called, hooking into the turkey as Johnny poured her a drink.  
'Hey, I'm not arguing with that.' Zeke grinned, handing on the gravy.  
'My only wish is that we were all together for thanksgiving. Doesn't feel right to sit down to a meal without the customary prayer from Blade or watching Christine carve the first turkey.' Raider sighed, grabbing a roll as the bread basket went past.  
'Yeah, but I'm sure they're thinking of us…all of us.' Splat nodded, glancing around the table.

Laughing softly, Emily tested her shoulder before deciding against it and getting stuck into the food with just a fork.  
'My Aunt Rose used to cook food just like this.' Taylor remarked, fork in one hand, bread roll in the other.  
'Aunt Rose. Stop lying Taylor, you're always lying man.' Ruiz grinned, passing the gravy to Emily before going back to his meal.  
'Let me have a beer will ya?' Myron asked, not looking up from his meal.  
'Make that two man.' Johnny added, still serving up his meal.  
'Coming up.' Splat replied, fishing two beers out and handing them down the table.  
'What's that? I didn't get that?' Johnson asked, pointing to something on Taylor's plate.  
'Hey, where's the cranberries?' Ruiz asked, scanning the table.  
'I'll get it.' Zeke sighed, getting to his feet and heading out the back.  
'There's no marshmallows on the sweet potatoes.' Doc groused but it was all in good nature.  
'Doc, if you ever get the chance to sit and share in thanksgiving our way, you'll never have to worry about your favourite details getting forgotten.' Raider grinned, thoughts turning to his brother back home.  
'Heaven forbid someone leave's the mess unsatisfied when Christine's cooking. She makes sure everyone is happy.' Emily agreed, amazed by how succulent the meat was. 'Hey, someone give me a beer.'  
'Coming your way Em.' Johnson nodded, grabbing another bottle and handing it along.  
'Need some help?' Myron asked, watching Emily glare at Johnson for a moment.  
'Yeah, thanks Myron.' Emily nodded, spotting the slightly guilty look on Johnson's face.  
'Oops, sorry Em.' he offered, ducking his head.  
'Feh, forget it bro. We're all friends here.' Emily chuckled, taking her beer from Myron and lifting it in a toast. 'To friends and loved ones, wherever and whenever they might be.'  
'Here-here.' Decal nodded, a dreamy smile crossing his face for a moment.

Zeke soon ambled back in and sat, a cheeky grin on his rugged face.  
'Sarge, where's the cranberry sauce?' Taylor asked, grabbing another roast potato. The door swung open again and Danny emerged with the cranberry sauce.  
'Percell, looking good.' Decal grinned, waving Danny over.  
'Yeah, it's good to see you man.' Johnny added, swallowing quickly.  
'Happy thanksgiving Percell.' Doc nodded, a warm smile on his face.  
'Glad you made it back man.' Raider nodded, offering Danny a beer.  
'Have a seat brother.' Taylor offered, pulling out the chair beside him.  
'Sit down and pass the cranberries. Turkey's getting cold man.' Ruiz directed, beckoning him over.  
'Welcome back Percell.' Myron offered, shovelling in another forkful as Danny sat.  
'We've missed ya Danny. Things just haven't been the same without you.' Emily added, relaxing more now that the team was back together.  
'Pass that man some turkey.' Doc grinned, handing the plate to Zeke.  
'Don't worry bout it man, it's just thanksgiving.' Taylor added around a mouthful, handing Danny the turkey.  
'Compliments of Colonel Brewster.' Speed remarked, handing down the sweet potatoes.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Standing on parade the next morning, mouse and man alike felt the raw emotions as they stood to attention and formed an honour guard for Colonel Brewster. No one liked the idea of watching him leave but they all owed this great man that much.  
'Sir.' Emily called, taking a step forward. Turning smoothly, Brewster looked over the massed force as Emily lead the way, arm snapping up in a perfect salute. Taking a moment to compose himself, Brewster returned the salute with pride and honour.

Lowering his arm and turning away, Brewster climbed into the waiting chopper and settled back for the long trip away from his men. Caught in the downdraft, Emily removed her hat but held the salute, honouring Colonel Brewster the only way she could. All around her, the rest of the guys on base did the same, not ready to let go but knowing they had to.

Dropping her arm once the chopper was far enough away, Emily turned and walked off, hand shoved in her pocket but left arm still in a sling.  
'So you reckon we'll see him again?' Kawasaki asked, jogging over to her side.  
'No, I don't think so Saki. Don't get me wrong, it'd be a nice surprise but somehow I doubt he'll fit in with us back in Chicago. He's not like Myron or Johnny or Rusty, I seriously doubt Brewster would be happy without his rank to hide behind.' Emily replied, scratching her neck idly.  
'How much longer you reckon we'll be stuck here?' Decal asked, running over to join them.  
'I'm counting on doing one tour of duty, that's one year. We're getting close to the end guys, another couple months and we'll be heading home.' Emily grinned, excited to be getting near to the end of the year but not sure if her words would prove to be right.


	23. Resha Malle

Eyes blowing wide, the four men stood and watched in amazement and awe as the mice pulled together and made the mess hall shine with love and care. Decorations hung from every exposed surface and small candles flickered on the tables. Delightful scents wafted on the air and everyone was looking their shining best.  
'Now I get why Blade asked us to pull out our Dress A's. This looks important.' Horn remarked, adjusting his shirt quickly.  
'Yeah but what's the occasion?' Baker asked, straightening his hair quickly.  
'We're about to find out. Here comes Blade.' Rusty nodded, making a last few adjustments before slipping onto a parade rest stance.  
'Blessed Resha Malle and happy thanksgiving my brothers. Please, come and join us.' Blade offered, leading the quartet into the mess hall and directing them to their seats among the guys.

Returning to his place at the top table, Blade straightened his formal uniform and lifted a single candle from the table, holding it gently in his cupped hands.  
'we put our weapons aside and gather together to share in this meal and pray for forgiveness from all who have been wronged by our actions, thoughts and words. As we sit and share in this bounty, we also must forgive those who have wronged us in action, thought or word. Cherila novasa le karishia mona letura movarisha duve. Arecha mentha kove le micnha kom napol tresurisha.' he proclaimed, holding the candle high and closing his eyes.  
'Arecha mentoria.' the rest of the team chorused, picking up candles and closing their eyes.  
'Ares forgives.' the four men offered, falling into the ritual and thinking of those they had wronged and been wronged by.

Opening his eyes slowly, Blade lowered the candle a little and nodded slowly.  
'Let the flames of anger and hatred be darkened. Blow away the ashes of frustration and dishonour. Throw open your hearts and let the forgiveness flow like a river to those who deserve such. Welcome in the returning torrent and rejoice in the knowledge all is forgiven.' he continued, gently extinguishing the candle and setting it back down.  
'Arecha tresuria.'  
'Ares protects.'

Returning to his seat, Blade motioned for Christine to step forward. Coming down off the officers table, she walked to the table in the middle of the gathering and hesitated.  
'I'm declining the right to carve the first bird this year. Instead, I ask Captain Rusty Wallace to step up and carve. This man has proven honourable and trustworthy, at times going beyond the call of duty to ensure we all thrived under his watchful gaze.' she grinned, moving aside as Rusty stood and walking over to join her.  
'You certainly know how to put a guy on the spot Christine. I really don't know what to say, the army doesn't train us in these sorts of engagements. I guess the only thing to say is blessed Resha Malle and happy thanksgiving my brothers and sister.' Rusty offered, picking up the carving knife and fork and getting stuck into the turkey. For a moment he was reminded of Christmases as a young lad, sitting at the table as his father carved the turkey.

Christine was quite impressed as Rusty neatly carved the turkey before putting the knife down and turning back to her.  
'Thank you Captain Wallace. Dig in my friends, there's always plenty to go around.' Christine nodded, picking up the neatly carved bird and carrying it to the top table as Rusty returned to his spot and started in on another bird.  
'Chill Rusty, it's only the first bird that gets carved neatly, the rest are torn up among the guys.' Sidewinder chuckled, ripping off a leg as Falcon stole a breast.  
'That I can live with.' Rusty grinned, getting stuck in and relaxing into the fun.  
'Hey, pass the gravy.' Ghost called, leaning over to steal a quick kiss from Windvest.  
'Coming your way bro.' Roger nodded, finishing with the gravy and passing it down.  
'A toast, to those who aren't here today.' Randy proposed, lifting his glass.  
'To Myron, Kawasaki and Revs.' Slash nodded, also raising his glass.  
'Zeke, Emission, Raider and Metric.'  
'Emily, Tank, Phantom and Shard.'  
'Danny, Chain, Rictor and Decal.'  
'Alberto, Speed, Scorpion and Strap.'   
'Marcus, Tar, Thunder and Bandana.'   
'Marvin, Carbon and Mark.'   
'And anyone who we didn't meet but are still part of the family.' Braidy finished, tears in his eyes as he prayed for Emission's safe return.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Retiring to the rec room, the team settled and relaxed on couches and armchairs, enjoying the closeness and camaraderie of the day.  
'Drag out the projector, let's see what the guys have to say.' Braidy called, holding up another precious film from Nam.  
'I'm on it.' Falcon nodded; hefting the projector up and carrying it over to the table as Sidewinder set up the screen and got comfortable on a couch.  
'Reckon they'll be home for Christmas?' Rusty asked, settling beside Sidewinder.  
'I hope so but there's no way to know for sure Rusty.' Sidewinder shrugged, letting the older man lean against him as Falcon finished setting everything up and turned the projector on.

The screen lit up and panned over the new base, men moving back and forth without even noticing the camera.  
'Hey guys, it's good to have a chance to sit down and let you know what's been going on since our last film home. Well, we've been moved from Tan Son Nhut to Camp Barnett and are now working as part of MACV SOG. Now I don't want you to worry, we're doing just fine and haven't lost a single man to enemy fire since the transition. Colonel Brewster took good care of us and makes sure his men never go hungry for food or compliments but he's gone now. The new guy ain't too bad but he's a different kind of officer, no way to tell how things will turn out. We've had a few problems but those times can't shadow all the good times we still have. Myron came a little too close to the edge after losing Miss Devlin but he's back with us now and doing okay. Danny wound up in deep on the drugs and went AWOL but we got him back and got him some help. He's back on the line now and going on like nothing happened.' Emily grinned, settled between Johnny McKay and a guy no one recognised.  
'Hey guys, missing ya heaps.' Revs called, poking his head into the shot.  
'You'll get your chance Revs, now get outta my shot.' Emily chuckled, giving him a gentle push away from the camera.  
'I'll go tell the guys to clean up for the camera.' Revs replied before he could be seen jogging away from Emily.  
'Now, some of you will remember Lieutenant Johnny McKay. For those of you who don't know him, Lieutenant McKay is the one man we can all count on to get us in and out of tight LZ's and to rescue us from under heavy fire. I'm proud to know this particular chopper jock. This is Spec 4 Francis Hockenbury, the new team medic. Things haven't always been smooth between us and a lot of problems have arisen but we're getting better at getting along as a team. Doc Hock makes no secret of his status regarding the war and believe me, he makes Horn seem like a lifer. No offence Doc.' Emily chuckled, slinging her arm around his shoulders.  
'None taken Em, I make no apologies for my stance on the war.' Doc grinned, totally relaxed in front of the camera.  
'I'm looking for a rematch Slash, you won't get me that easily again. I'm ready for you this time.' Johnny challenged, leaning forward a little more.  
'Don't get excited Johnny, you'll get your chance. I'm looking forward to seeing it this time, only heard the story of the last one. Hey Myron, come say hi to the guys back home.' Emily replied, waving the other Lieutenant over.

Walking over with Zeke at his side like always, Myron leant on Emily's shoulder and grinned.  
'See, I told you I could keep them alive Slash. We're all still kicking and ready for another day on the front lines…or wherever the higher highers choose to send us. It hasn't been easy since you left but we're doing just fine. I've been sharing the load around as best I can but the guys know I've got certain favourites for different situations.' he grinned, ruffling Emily's hair affectionately.  
'Happy thanksgiving and a blessed Resha Malle everyone, sorry we couldn't be home for the holidays. We're all thinkin' of ya'll and hopin' to make it home real soon.' Zeke added, looking forward to another chance to sit and talk with his old friends.  
'Sit tight guys, I'll take ya over to the team hootch where the rest of the gang is waiting.' Emily nodded, getting up and shutting the camera off.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Gathering together so they were all in the shot, the mice all grinned and waved as the human element of Team Viking squeezed in and joined the group.  
'hey guys, I know you've been worried sick about us since group two made it home but as you can see, we're all still in one piece. We look out for each other and never leave a man behind, just like we always have. It's been hard without you here but the thought of coming home to a warm and welcoming feast keeps us going strong. Christine, keep the cookies and other treats coming, we love to see what you've been experimenting with.' Metric grinned, ruffling Ru's hair quickly.  
'Braidy, I'm sorry I missed your birthday. I'll make it up to you when we get home. Plate, I miss you so much but I just know you'll be proud of me when I get home.' Emission nodded, hands saying what his voice couldn't.  
'Voodoo, I wish I'd been there for your Trimas ceremony. I know how much you'd been looking forward to having me there as you went through it.' Shard sighed, thoughts turning to his beloved for a moment before silently saying one last thing.  
'Keep your chin up Falcon, I'm doing just fine. LT makes sure I keep coming home, even when he asks me to do the dangerous missions that no one else can handle.' Decal offered, eyes twinkling with new life and total comfort.  
'It hasn't been easy since you left Black but we're holding up. We're sticking to the roster you left for us and so far it's worked. Stay strong brother, we'll be home before you know it.' Speed and Carbon nodded, holding each other close so Black could see they were still as strong and close as they had always been.  
'Ripper, I miss you so much but knowing I don't have to risk my little brother makes it a little easier. Thunder would be here but he's out on a side mission with a couple other snipers.' Rictor added, hands flying as he signed a message to his brother.  
'Tona, I wish I could be home for Christmas but I don't think I'm going to be that lucky. Be strong bro, we'll be together again real soon.' Tar offered, tears in his eyes as he signed an additional message.  
'Be strong my dear Bits, we'll be reunited soon. I put your birthday present in the mail yesterday; I hope it reaches you safely.' Mark nodded, hoping Bits could hear the underlying emotions behind his words.  
'I'm thinking of you every day Choke, keep ya chin up and don't worry. This is a different style of warfare but I'm getting the hang of it. Keep smiling bro, we'll have our chance soon.' Phantom sighed, heart cracking at the thought of being stuck in Nam for too much longer.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Finding a quiet spot to sit, Black curled up and buried his face in his knees, sobbing quietly in the darkness. He'd always been there for his brothers, protecting and cherishing them but now they were separated by time and distance and he didn't know how to handle the situation.  
'Hey, you gonna be okay Black?' Roger asked, settling beside the grieving mouse and holding him close, rocking slowly.  
'Yeah, I will be. It's always been my job to look after my younger brothers but right now, I'm powerless to protect them.' Black nodded, lifting his head slowly.  
'They'll be okay man; you just have to keep believing. They aren't alone; the rest of the guys will look after them.' Horn replied, hauling Black to his feet and leading him back towards the rest of the guys.


	24. Green Christmas

Jumping out of the chopper, Team Viking split up and headed in separate directions with the promise to catch up later to head for the orphanage.  
'Uh oh, reporter. You guys go deal with the prisoners, we'll play nice for the folks back home.' Emily nodded, passing her prisoner off and moving into step beside Myron.  
'We'll catch up at the team hootch later.' Kawasaki replied, quickly hustling his bros out of sight of the reporter.  
'Emily, go with them. You'll be spotted out real quick this time around.' Myron instructed, patting down his pockets in the hunt for his cigarettes.  
'I'll take the risk Myron. I've got a feeling this is going to be seen back home.' Emily replied, fishing out her cigarettes and handing one over.  
'I hope you're right on this one Em. The last thing we need is you getting into trouble this close to the end.' Myron sighed, taking the offered cigarette and lighting up.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Pulling out the specially wrapped present, Emily smiled softly and made sure it was all still sealed properly.  
'What have you got there Em?' Zeke asked, grabbing a much smaller present out and turning for the door.  
'It's a gift for Myron from the guys back home. They were throwing around idea for appropriate gifts and this was the final selection. I've been sitting on it for a few days but I'm pretty sure the right day is coming up soon.' Emily explained, hoping everything was right and the guys had made sure to include everything.

Crossing the base, they slipped into Myron's hootch quietly.  
'Knock knock.' Zeke called, closing the door.  
'C'mon in if it's good news. Go away if it's bad.' Myron replied, tossing his pen down and turning to them.  
'C'mon now LT, don't be like that.' Emily chuckled, hanging back a step.  
'There's only one kinda news over here LT.' Zeke grinned, walking across the hootch. 'Hey, merry Christmas.' Myron hesitated for a moment before taking the offered present.  
'Thank you.' he grinned, looking up at Zeke.  
'You're welcome.' Zeke nodded; confident he'd gotten this one right. Myron grinned and reached into his desk drawer as Zeke grabbed a chair and straddled it.  
'Happy Hanukkah.' he offered, handing Zeke a neatly wrapped present.  
'Well thank you.' Zeke grinned, taking the gift and settling comfortably.  
'You gonna stand there all day Em?' Myron asked, waving her over and putting his feet up.  
'Well, I didn't want this one to overshadow Zeke's gift. You go ahead and open that then you can have this one.' Emily grinned, walking over and perching on the corner of the desk.  
'I can live with that. Here, happy Hanukkah Em.' Myron nodded, digging out another gift and handing it over.  
'Why thank you LT, that's so nice of you.' Emily blushed, putting the special gift down behind her and taking the offering.

There was silence for a few moments as everyone opened their gifts and smiled, touched by what had been given and received. Emily and Zeke both got a bottle of fine aged scotch whiskey and Myron seemed quite happy with his new portable radio.  
'Thank you very much.' Zeke nodded, looking at the bottle in his hands.  
'Yeah, well it's better than that rotgut you've down at the team house.' Myron replied, running out the antenna on his new radio.  
'I've had a lot worse than the rotgut on offer down there. This is a special treat though; I'll be saving this for a special day.' Emily added, putting her bottle safely on the desk.  
'Thank you.' Myron nodded, holding up the radio.  
'Batteries included there. It's really from all the guys.' Zeke replied, listening as Myron tuned the radio in and picked up more Christmas carols.  
'Before you get too excited about your radio, here. This one's from all the guys back home.' Emily offered, holding out the larger box.

Putting down his radio, Myron took the bigger present and tore the paper away before opening the simple cardboard box. Jaw dropping wide, Myron gasped and stared, deeply touched by the thoughtfulness displayed inside. His hands were shaking as he reached in and lifted out the nine simple candles before he folded back the paper. Swallowing back his tears, he lifted out the beautiful menorah and held it up, wishing his hands would stop shaking.  
'I…wow.' he uttered, absolutely lost for words.  
'I knew they'd nail this one. This is even more amazing that I thought.' Emily nodded, gently taking the menorah and setting it on the desk.  
'You don't know what this means to me Emily. I owe the guys big for this.' Myron managed, setting his new menorah up and turning to look at her.  
'No, you don't owe us anything Myron. You're part of our dysfunctional family and we'll do whatever it takes to keep you happy and free. The mice may not be Jewish but they have been studying and learning and understand what is needed. I have it on good authority that the appropriate adjustments are being made and all will be ready when you return home. You are our brother and we want you to feel welcome and comfortable to live with us.' Emily replied, ruffling his hair affectionately.  
'You don't need to go to too much trouble. I'll make it work, I always do.' Myron sighed, still amazed by what the mice had so freely given him.  
'I won't hear of it Myron. The work has already begun and as such cannot be stopped. We have made many adjustments and changes since the first men arrived and will continue to do so until our military style home is more comfortable for those who have sacrificed so much for a chance to have to join us.' Emily corrected, slinging her arms around Myron's shoulders and hugging him tight for a moment.  
'Thank you Emily, I'll write the guys later and thank them all.' Myron grinned, getting up and carrying his menorah over to the cabinet by the door and setting it up.  
'They would sure appreciate that LT.' Emily replied, gaze turning to look outside. 'another Christmas away from the guys…so much for enjoying a Christine special.' she sighed, thoughts turning back through the years to all the times she'd been away from home for the holidays.

Listening to the carols playing softly, Myron returned to his seat and poured his two closest friends a drink before filling his glass.  
'It's that time of the year again. How many Christmases you spent overseas?' he asked, handing around the drinks.  
'Oh I don't know LT. I forgot 'em all. Except for the first one. I was in Europe, I was in some desolate hellhole up by the East German border and I was 18 years old. I was pulling guard duty at some little old airstrip. It was Christmas Eve. I'm out there, I'm out there walking around guarding a few Piper Cubs you understand, and I'm freezing my tail off and all my buddies are out getting drunk somewhere. I don't know. I ain't got no family anywhere in the world, course I'm feeling sorry for myself. And all of a sudden, it occurred to me that I was doing what a soldier ought to be doing.' Zeke replied, mind drifting back.  
'Well a soldier's gotta have a life to.' Myron nodded, glancing at Emily.  
'Yes Sir. That was my life. I figured as long as I was out there standing guard, I was allowing somebody else to enjoy their Christmas. As long as I was out there, they didn't have anything to worry about.' Zeke continued, sipping his drink.  
'Zeke Anderson, making the world safe for democracy.' Myron teased, giving Emily a gentle nudge until she took the offered drink and grinned.  
'Sorry LT, just thinking about wasted Christmases and pointless days.' Emily sighed, dragging her mind out of the past.  
'It can't be all bad Emily. Come on, there must be one good Christmas memory you can share.' Myron coaxed, looking at Zeke apologetically.  
'Not really. Christmas is the busiest time for people like me back home. That's the time when everyone lets their guard down and I can swoop in for the kill much easier. As a greenbacker, I have to take what chances I can get to take out my targets and Christmas just happens to be the best time for most of the targets I get.' she shrugged, not looking at the two men around her. 'All I do is ruin Christmases for other families all across the world.'  
'Don't you at least get to spend some time with your friends and family?' Zeke asked, hoping Emily at least got that much.  
'Don't have any family, lost them all years ago. That's part of the reason why I got into the game, nothing left to lose. As for the mice, they're safer if I'm not there but I can't just leave them. I'm a marked woman, there's a two million dollar bounty on my head because I pissed off the wrong people. It's not really safe for me anywhere which is why I've had to become such a dangerous woman. I kill without sound since a noise can give me away and wind up in my death.' Emily replied, a little bit of sorrow in her voice.  
'No one should have to spend Christmas alone.' Myron offered, laying a hand on her knee.  
'Don't have a choice. I gotta make the money to keep 14 safe and well supplied, but to do that, I gotta keep fighting. In the average year, I probably only spend half of it at home resting and recovering. The rest is spent in the cockpit or a plane or chopper or behind the wheel of any number of ground vehicles. All I know is hunting and killing, anything else ain't important. I deal with my own wounds and keep pushing until the work is done.' Emily shrugged, not sure how else to explain what she did for a living.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Following Danny, Ru and Doc over to the supply depot, Emily blocked out thoughts of home and her conversation with Zeke and Myron, choosing instead to fall into the usual routine she knew so well for this time of year.  
'Excuse me Sergeant.' Danny called, leading the small group.  
'Forget about that Danny, I'll handle it. You three just start grabbing the gifts, Hannigan is mine. This time of the year brings out the absolute worst in me.' Emily corrected, stepping forward and grabbing Hannigan by the collar. Dragging him up and around, Emily easily outmanoeuvred and overpowered the arrogant man, batting his cigar away.  
'Emily, is this necessary?' Doc Hock asked, already starting the search for the missing gifts.  
'Unless you wanna be the one volunteering for this place, shut up and get to work. I need to work out my battle frustration and this works well for me.' Emily snarled, easily controlling the bigger man. He kept trying to break her hold but Emily had the training and strength to easily control him and drive him to his knees.  
'Oh god, it's December. No wonder Em's on edge.' Decal muttered, jumping off the truck and running in to help with the loading.  
'What are you talking about Dec?' Taylor asked, also running in to help.  
'December is Emily's busiest month back home. She's always on the go, moving from one job to the next without a moment to breathe. It's her month of greatest activity so anyone who pisses her off now is gonna be in for a world of hurt.' Decal explained, grabbing the first load and heading back to the truck.  
'Uh-uh-uh, you keep that up and you're gonna get hurt Hannigan. Hurry it up guys, before I decide this one would be a worthy hunt target.' Emily growled, struggling to control her violent streak.  
'We're moving Em, we're moving. Form a line, let's make this quick.' Revs snapped, jumping down and starting to form a line stretching from the stockpile to the truck.

The last of the gifts were soon loaded and the team returned to the truck, waiting for Emily to join them before heading out.  
'I'd better not hear you complainin' about this Hannigan. I take down people like you for a living. The corrupt, arrogant mugs who don't give a shit about the little guy. Now if you wanna keep your body in one piece, you'll shut up about what you've seen here and quit ripping people off. You'll get no second warning.' she hissed, swinging Hannigan around before driving her knee into his gut and leaving him laying on the ground, gasping for breath.  
'Let's go LT, we're all loaded up and ready to go.' Zeke called, hauling Emily up and getting comfortable.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Eyes closed and mind clear, Emily slipped into the meditation that Blade had taught her for those times she couldn't make use of her combat desire. Relaxing into her position more, she walked the clear path she knew and felt the desire to fight reduce and move to the back of her mind.

Then the landmine went off, stirring everyone into action. Emily shot to her feet and unslung her rifle, jumping down and moving into a clear patrol path.  
'Oh man he's dead.' Doc groaned, kneeling beside the dead kid.  
'Alright Doc, let's get him in the poncho and on the truck. Charlie's gonna be real nearby.' Myron replied; stirring Doc into action again as Emily kept up her scans.  
'Good work Em, keep us safe.' Decal called, hurrying to help with the dead man.  
'Get up Doc, come on, let's go, and let's go!' Zeke barked, not liking the situation.

Ducking the incoming fire, Emily shoved Zeke back and opened fire, the rest of the force spreading out and opening fire as Taylor, Myron and Doc hustled the body around and got him back onboard.  
'McKay lets go!' Myron hollered amid the gunfire, hoisting body up and jumping back onboard.  
'Go on Danny, I'm right behind ya!' Emily nodded, running along behind the truck as Danny grabbed Doc's hand and jumped up onto the tailgate.  
'Not this time Em, come on!' Kawasaki hollered, grabbing a firm hold and reaching back off the truck. Emily nodded and dug a large explosive from her kit. Yanking the pin, she tossed it over her shoulder and ran. Kawasaki grabbed her extended arms and pulled, hauling her aboard just as the bomb went off. It was a carefully designed charge, weighted so it would always land facing away from anyone who threw it so when it exploded, it put out quite the cover screen.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Reaching the orphanage, the mice grabbed the three nurses and all the presents and bolted, hustling inside and making sure everyone was safe.  
'Shouldn't you guys be out there?' Hockenbury called, grabbing a box of gifts and carrying them over to the tree.  
'We will but it's always women and children first.' Decal replied; ushering the children to safety and jumping a little as one latched onto him.  
'You stay here Dec; you've got that calming influence. All of you stay, we can handle this. It's your job to keep the kids safe and the Christmas spirit strong.' Emily called, waving the team to follow her back into the boonies.

Hunkering down among the children, the five mice were transported to another place and time in their minds and smiled.  
'Let's sing a song.' Shard suggested, one arm wrapped around the little girl on his lap.  
'Let's sing a Christmas carol.' Speed nodded, holding two little boys close.  
'I think Hark the Herald Angels Sing.' Sister Bernadette suggested, hands pressed over a young girls' ears. Rocking slowly, Decal picked up the song, his voice soft and sweet among his friends and the frightened children. The rest of the group soon lifted their voices, holding children and trying to block out the noise outside.

Out in the scrub, the troops on the hunt sat their ambushes and waited, catching the enemy troops and taking them down with grenades and guns.  
'So much for peace on earth and all that.' Emily sighed, wishing for just one Christmas with her friends and family.  
'We can only do our best Em.' Zeke shrugged, moving to check the enemy troops they had killed.  
'Just once I'd like to be home and at peace for the holidays.' Emily uttered, listening for any more dangers in the jungle.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Returning to the orphanage, Emily picked up one of the presents and put her weapon down before walking over and handing it to one of the children.  
'Merry Christmas sweet child.' she whispered, smiling happily as the little boy tore the gift open and lifted out the new teddy bear. Smiling wide, he gave Emily a big hug before running over to show Sister Bernadette his new toy.  
'Almost makes it worth all the pain and not being home.' Revs grinned, handing out another gift.  
'Nothing can make up for not being home but yeah, this comes close. It's got me thinking too, think I'm gonna give up the December rush, I've got more important things to consider now.' Emily nodded, getting up and picking up another little girl.  
'Like Rusty.' Revs agreed, catching the ball one of the young boys threw and tossing it back gently.  
'Not just him but yeah, something like that. I've got the closest thing to a family I've had in years and I keep leaving it to go out and hunt. There are eleven months that I could make use of and still spend Christmas at home.' Emily grinned, putting the little girl down and heading outside to have a smoke.

Sinking to the ground, Emily lit up and smiled, listening to Johnny telling the children a Christmas story. Pulling out her notebook and pen, she got comfortable and started to write, needing an outlet for her emotions and thoughts.  
'You okay Em?' Raider asked, settling beside her and digging out his cigarettes.  
'Yeah, just got a lot on my mind. I'm considering dropping my December rush to spend Christmas at home but first I need to make sure we can survive the change.' Emily shrugged, scratching down the rough figures and running mental calculations.  
'You know we'll give up certain things if you ask.' Raider grinned, looking at the numbers Emily was writing down.  
'If it can't be done without making sacrifices, I'll just have to keep working through December. I won't ask anyone to give up the things they enjoy and I expect you to keep this to yourself. I don't want the guys thinking they have to give up the things they enjoy just to keep me happy.' Emily replied, giving raider a warning glare.  
'They'll hear nothing from me Em, promise.' Raider swore, lifting his hands.  
'That goes for all of ya. It's my call and no one else gets involved. I'm doing this for all of us.' Emily reiterated, aware some of the other guys could hear her.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Thousands of miles and many years away, 14 gathered in the rec room and relaxed, switching on the evening news. Johnson settled quickly, still coming to terms with his new life but happy to be back among friends.  
'We have some special footage here that has only recently been rediscovered after forty years hidden away in the attic of a Vietnam veteran. If anyone knows the men in the video, please contact this station.' the reporter grinned before the film started.  
'I don't believe it.' Blade uttered, a tear in his eye as the Christmas message from their friends played on the TV and Emily stood tall in the back, looking right at the camera as if she knew this was going to be seen.

There wasn't a dry eye in the room as the guys all wished their friends and family a merry Christmas before Emily stepped up and wiped the grit from her face.  
'Merry Christmas to all by friends back home in Chicago. You're never far from my thoughts and I hope your presents found you before today. I miss you all so much but I know I'll see you again real soon. Rusty, if you're watching this I want you to know I love you and can't wait to hold you in my arms again. Be strong my beloved, there's only a couple months left in my tour.' Emily grinned, looking right down the camera.  
'I'm still here my love, nothing could tear me away.' Rusty uttered, unashamed by the tears rolling down his face.


	25. Almost Home

Watching over the team with a trained eye, Zeke could tell they were getting things organised and making sure they had all they would need to take home with them.  
'I get the feelin' this is a bad idea.' he remarked, glancing at Myron.  
'Maybe they know something we don't.' Myron shrugged, watching the mice handing things around and stashing their excess gear out of the way.  
'I still don't like it. Ya start packin' early and gettin' all excited, that's when mistakes happen.' Zeke sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'Chill Zeke, we're not gonna go do anythin' stupid. It's all part of our experience here. We know who is going home and when and that's got everyone excited. As the trigger mission approached, you'll see a calm come over the team and everyone will know then. One more big one and we can all go home to Chicago.' Emily grinned, jogging up behind the pair.  
'Do you know what the trigger mission is?' Myron asked, trying to calculate their time left.  
'Nope, no one knows yet but the moment it rolls around, we'll all know. Get your affairs in order, you're coming with us like everyone else involved.' Emily replied, watching as Shard and Hockenbury signed out a jeep and headed off base. 'Good, they did pay attention. I told them the monkeys had to go.' she chuckled, walking off to finish her preparations.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Stretching out on his bunk, Emission closed his eyes and relaxed; thinking of Braidy and Plate and the approaching return home.  
'So what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get home Emission?' Percell asked, settling on his bunk comfortably.  
'You want the clean answer or the honest truth?' Emission asked, not opening his eyes.  
'The honest truth of course.' Danny replied; head cocked to the side.  
'I'm gonna run up and grab Braidy by the ass then shove my tongue down his throat.' Emission grinned, listening to the various responses to his words.  
'You walked into that one Danny.' Tar chuckled, thinking dirty thoughts of his own.  
'Nah, that was a full on sprint with Charlie on his ass.' Raider sniggered, helping Doc up off the floor quickly.  
'Speaking of asses, can't wait to get my hands on Voodoo's again.' Shard agreed, catching Ruiz before he came off his bunk.  
'What's gotten into you guys?' Danny asked, still trying to wrap his head around what was going on and where this conversation was headed.  
'This is the real us Danny, not that serious bunch of guys you know. We laugh and joke around, shit stir and talk about all kinds of things that this time and place just ain't ready for.' Rictor shrugged, glancing at Thunder and nodding.  
'The only reason we kept our mouths shut is the fact Emily warned us about what could happen if such things got out. It's a sign of trust, we feel safe around you guys.' Strap added, shuffling over a little so Bandana could settle beside him.  
'Just out of curiosity, how many of you guys are that way inclined?' Doc asked, sitting up and looking around the hootch.  
'Put it this way, there's only six mice in this room without someone special either here or at home.' Tank replied, leaning against his bunk casually.  
'So that's eleven with someone special. You hid it well, I'll give ya that.' Taylor nodded, looking around and trying to guess who was dating and who was single.  
'It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. It was worse in the start, with so many more guys hiding their love and stealing a moment whenever they could.' Decal sighed, sitting up and pulling a photo out of his pocket.  
'Those of us who had to say goodbye are really struggling but we'll be reunited soon. I can't wait to see Bits again.' Mark nodded, mind filling with happy moments.


	26. The Raid

Faces turned skyward, the last Martians in Vietnam stood together in the rain, arms outstretched and shirts left discarded on the ground. Tears rolled down their faces, indistinguishable from the sweet water falling from the sky. Huddled under some paltry shelter nearby, Zeke and Emily stood silent and watched the mice enjoy the rain.  
'You'd think they'd be sick of the rain after a year in this place.' Zeke remarked, pushing his hood back and looking the group over.  
'You gotta remember, Mars hasn't seen rain in generations. Before they came to earth, none of the guys from 14 had ever seen the rain.' Emily replied, watching her friends enjoying the rain while everyone else looked at them like they were insane.  
'So are they happy because of the rain or is there another reason?' Zeke asked, finding a deeper understanding of the situation now.  
'We have the trigger mission Zeke. One last big mission and we can go home. We're all getting out of here, not just the last members of 14, but your men too. Danny, Ru, Taylor, Hockenbury, Johnny, Myron and you. It's time for us all to go home Zeke, we just have to get through this last mission.' Emily grinned, bouncing lightly on her toes.  
'It's not going to be that easy Em, I just know it.' Zeke sighed, truly looking forward to the thought of seeing his old friends again.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Spotting the lonely medic sitting off by his own, Revs glanced at Kawasaki and nodded before walking away. He stopped and grabbed his shirt, tying it to his belt and slicking the water from his bare chest as he walked. The rain helped wash away the demons that clung to them all but there was one that refused to go.

Slipping under the shelter, Revs nudged Hockenbury and grinned faintly. Lifting his head, Doc Hock looked at Revs and turned away in shame.  
'Just leave me alone. I don't deserve your company, I'm a screw up.' he uttered, dropping his head back to his knees.  
'No, I won't abandon you Francis. If anything, I'm the one at fault…along with Zeke. We shouldn't have tried to change you, to turn you into a soldier. That's not who you are, we had no right to try and make you that. You'll never be comfortable with a weapon, I get that and I'm sorry for trying to force you to do something you aren't comfortable doing. I'm sorry, I should never have put you in that position.' Revs replied, gently turning Hockenbury back to face him.  
'You tried Revs, that's all anyone can do. Doesn't change the fact I screwed up though.' Hockenbury sighed, keeping his eyes on the ground.  
'It doesn't matter anymore Francis. You're a good man, this is just a minor setback. You've earned my respect and that's not easy to do. In the army, it's easy to let others push you around and make choices for you but not you. Even though it's been hard and no one likes the fact you won't use a weapon, you stuck to it and kept your promise. You've never fired a weapon and that's something to be proud of. I used to be like you but I got pushed one too many times and cracked just so people would stop pushing me around and getting in my face. You're one up on me there my friend and that's rare in this place.' Revs offered, gently tipping Doc's chin up to look him in the eye. 'You are special and I am honoured to know you as my friend.'  
'So you're not gonna kick me to the DMZ for that one? You swore you would.' Hockenbury stared, the reality sinking in slowly.  
'Wasn't one of my buddies that got wasted. I said I'd boot your ass to the DMZ if any of my buddies were killed because you refused to act. The guy who died was another cherry, I didn't know him and he wasn't part of our weird family.' Revs replied, reaching up and ruffling Hockenbury's hair quickly.  
'Well alright then. Thanks Revs, I get the feeling you're the only real friend I've got here.' Hockenbury grinned, batting Revs' hand away.  
'Nah, you've got Em and Shard too. Come on, what'd you say we go get a drink and chill out for a while.' Revs replied, leading Hockenbury through the mud and rain.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Gathering in the CP that night, everyone was dripping wet and cold but their spirits were strong and all were determined to see this one through to the end.  
'I've personally selected you men as candidates for a special and highly sensitive mission. What you'll be doing will require accuracy and precision, necessitating a brief but intensive training period. I anticipate casualties' gentlemen, perhaps heavy casualties. Therefore this mission will be on a strictly volunteer basis. I want any man here who has any doubts to leave now. No questions asked.' Brewster announced, looking the massed force over with a trained eye.

No one moved to go, standing tall and firm as one unit, one unbreakable band of brothers.  
'Alright, we start training tomorrow morning. For what may be the most important mission ever attempted in this war. Mr Fontaine here of the CIA will be our intelligence liaison.' Brewster continued, not really surprised no one had left.  
'Colonel. Gentlemen.' Fontaine greeted, looking the massed team over but missing Emily's true potential and skill set.  
'We also have with us gentlemen, an advisor from the United States Air Force. This is Major Rex Chapman. Major Chapman was shot down over Hanoi, where he spent three years as a prisoner of war before he escaped two months ago.' Brewster nodded, gaze locking onto Emily's face.  
'Gentlemen, Colonel Brewster has briefed me on every one of you here. If anyone can pull off this plan, I believe it's you. You men are going to raid a prisoner of war camp, deep in North Vietnam. Your mission, is to bring home 38 American POW's.' Chapman explained, looking the group over slowly and spotting Emily.  
'I'll give ya that one Zeke, our last mission ain't gonna be easy. But for the chance to finally make it home, we'll do anything.' Emily sighed, pitching her voice so the CIA agent wouldn't pick her out from the guys.  
'Just so long as you don't wind up going home in a pine box this close to the end.' Zeke replied, glancing at Revs and Kawasaki.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Listening to the briefing the next morning, Phantom heard the approach of Johnny's chopper and rolled his eyes.  
'I think Brewster's gonna have to kick a dog before long.' he muttered, glancing at Emily.  
'Kiss the dirt! Incoming McKay!' Emily called, diving for the ground. The rest of the group also ducked as McKay approached.  
'Decal, hot extract!' Raider snapped, wanting to get in a little more practise of an older technique.  
'Hoi.' Decal nodded, moving into position.

Picking the moment carefully, Raider tossed Decal straight up towards the low flying bird and stayed ready to catch him. Turning quickly, Decal grabbed the left skid and hooked his leg over it before climbing up and vanishing into the hold.  
'Brewster's gonna kick your ass for that stunt McKay.' he grinned, crouching between the seats.  
'Where did you spring from Dec?' Johnny asked, snapping to look at him and cutting the tunes.  
'The briefing of course. Raider decided to get in a bit of hot extract training. It's a technique we use back home to great success. Though we don't normally have anything to grab onto apart from the open hatch. I gotta say, it's easier to do it with choppers instead of Stryker class transports and Thrishi class attack platforms.' Decal shrugged, getting comfortable as Johnny headed for the landing pad.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Listening to the briefing on the facility, Revs paled under his fur and swallowed, looking a little green and trying to calm his nerves.  
'This is even worse than the camps back home. I don't know if I can do this Em.' he uttered, looking to his closest friend for support.  
'I believe in you Revs. You're never alone, you've got us all around you. We'll make it through this and then go home. I need you with us Revs, I've got a feeling we're gonna need your magic hands and soothing words.' Emily soothed, carding her fingers through his hair tenderly.  
'You're not the only one worried about this one Revs. We're all scared shitless but I'll be right beside you every step of the way. I'll keep you safe Revs, it'll be fine.' Raider promised, shuffling over and wrapping one arm around Revs' shoulders.  
'Thanks Raider, I really appreciate that.' Revs nodded, leaning against Raider a little more.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Returning to the main training ground, the team was relaxed and calm as always, defiant and ready to face the odds.  
'Alright, there's only enough room to land one chopper inside the prison. Since we don't know how thick the walls are and we can't blow them, we're gonna have to scale them. I want you up and over in ten seconds.' Brewster explained, indicating the large wooden wall.  
'Ten seconds per man or ten seconds to get as many over as possible?' Decal asked, eyeing the wall critically.  
'Ten seconds a man. Percell, you lead off.' Brewster replied, waving Danny forward.  
'Pfft, easy.' Raider scoffed, also eyeing the wall and estimating how long it would take the entire group to get up and over.

Moving back a step and cheering on their friends, the mice watched and evaluated the efforts of their friends. Danny made it up and over quickly, closely followed by Taylor and the rest of the group, including Colonel Brewster.  
'Come on boys, let's show them how a real assault force does it. Watch the clock Colonel, this will blow your mind.' Emily grinned, shaking Danny's rope off the wall and moving back.  
'Now isn't the time for showing off Emily. We have a serious job to do.' Myron warned, stepping forward quickly.  
'This ain't showing off LT, this is how we do it back home. Using your technique, the first guy over the wall is all alone for a few seconds and in combat, seconds are critical. By using the tried and true Burst Leap technique, no one stands alone and the job can be done so much faster.' Chain replied, stepping up into his position in the line.  
'And three…two…one. Charge!' Emily called, bolting forward and planting her right foot into Tank's cupped hands. Beside her, Emission hit Shard's hands and Scorpion connected with Rictor. The three taller mice heaved upwards, hoisting the first trio up and over the wall before heaving the next three over. On the other side, the touchdowns were perfectly timed and the group spread out around the LZ, weapons up and ready. Once everyone else was over, the three throwers backed up and ran at the wall, making full use of their heights to get up and over easily.

Straightening and turning to the group, Emily nodded and walked over to Colonel Brewster to check their time.  
'Twenty three seconds, very impressive.' Brewster nodded, turning the stopwatch around.  
'We're getting slow. Last time we did this with a full unit it only took fifty seven seconds.' Kawasaki sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'We usually have Falcon in the throwing line and you know how strong he is.' Emily replied, wiping the sweat from her hair quickly.  
'Can we count on your throw team if we can't blow the wall?' Brewster asked, nodding slowly.  
'Yeah, you can count on our throw team. Raider, you'll have to take up the forth throw position, we don't have anyone else strong enough to throw the team.' Kawasaki nodded, glancing at Raider quickly.  
'Yeah, I can do that. I'm sticking by Revs for the rest of the mission though, I swore I would.' Raider confirmed, slinging an arm around Revs' shoulders again.  
'That'll work just fine.' Brewster agreed, leading the group away from the wall.

Reaching the next training station, Brewster looked the course over and took up the lead position, relaxed and focused on what had to be done.  
'Okay, many of the prisoners will be too weak to make it to the choppers on their own, we're gonna have to carry them. The object of this course is to complete it in thirty seconds carrying a 120 pound dummy. I'll take the lead, I want you men to follow.' he explained, shouldering the dummy and taking off into the course at a run.  
'Okay, up we go.' Emily nodded, hoisting up another dummy and shooting off the mark.  
'It's probably a good thing Falcon's not here.' Decal remarked, showing strength no one knew he possessed and taking off into the course.  
'Nah, we could use his strength.' Revs replied, getting stuck into the course.  
'Less chat more running guys!' Emily called, showing no signs of strain as she pushed through.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Straightening her bandana and nodding slowly, Emily looked the assembled team over and relaxed. Inhaling deep, she closed her hands and cleared her mind, pushing all thoughts out of her head except for the mission specs and her everlasting promise to protect her special family. The family had gotten bigger but it didn't matter, her heart still had room for them all.  
'Good morning and good news. We're ready. The weather is ready, and I think we can assume that the prisoners are ready. Alright men, we know how to do our jobs. Let's head north!' Brewster called, looking the team over slowly.  
'Hoi!' the mice replied, breaking up and running for the birds along with the rest of the team.  
'What's that actually mean?' Myron asked, jumping up and moving aside as Emily leapt aboard.  
'It's a general acceptance call. Used when we need to respond in an instant to any command. You may have noticed Decal used it when Raider suggested the hot extract training too.' Emily replied, getting comfortable as the chopper lifted off.  
'Yeah, I heard that. I figured it was harmless enough, just wanted to know for sure.' Myron grinned, settling back and relaxing.  
'This time tomorrow, you'll be hearing a lot more of the language LT.' Revs chuckled, shuffling his gear around quickly and getting comfortable.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Hiding a yawn, Kawasaki leant back against the padding and closed his eyes for a few moments as the choppers flew along the river.  
'Hey Foster, take the stick.' Johnny called, turning in his seat. 'Welcome aboard gentlemen, you've picked a beautiful day to fly to North Vietnam, the land of beauty and intrigue. Today we'll be flying at fourteen feet, and have a short stop over in Laos for refuelling. We do expect a little turbulence so please fasten those seatbelts and let's boogie.' he announced, grinning at the gang.  
'You'll keep McKay, you'll keep. I just know you're gonna be a welcome addition to the family.' Emily grinned, reaching behind to lay one hand on his shoulder.  
'I gotta admit Em, can't wait to meet some of the guys.' Johnny replied, laying one hand over Emily's gently.  
'And they're just dying to meet you as well Johnny. Just focus on this for now though, the guys can wait until you're safely back at home.' Emily nodded, enjoying the moment of tenderness before dropping her hand and getting comfortable again.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Slinging her rifle over one shoulder, Emily turned to Speed and closed her eyes, head tilting back just a fraction.  
'I get the feeling you're ready for any and all eventualities here Em.' he remarked, taking out the face paint and starting to darken Emily's beautiful features.  
'Yep, I've got through all the possible endings to this and have made preparations for all cases. Everything from a total failure to perfection from start to finish. Of course, I'm hoping I won't have to do anything to drastic but I'm ready.' Emily replied, still relaxed and confident.  
'That's what I love about you Em, you're always willing to jump in and have a crack at whatever is required of you.' Speed nodded, keeping his touch light as he smeared the dark paint across Emily's cheeks and down her neck.  
'I'm just hoping we don't lose a bird. That's something I can't do much about except for take you guys and head into the boonies until we make the jump home.' Emily sighed, trying not to think about the serious losses they could face.  
'You'll take care of us Em, you always do. You swore we'd make it home Em and that's all I need to hear. You're our guardian and our patron, we don't need anything more than that.' Splat added, laying one hand between her shoulders.  
'I just hope that's enough this time. We've never faced a situation like this together and it's a totally new thing for me, even with all I've done. Prison breaks of any kind are out of my league, I just don't do them.' Emily replied, her insecurities showing through as she admitted her fears quietly to those closest to her.  
'Don't sweat it Em, we'll be right with you every step of the way. We've been talking and we're partnering up, mouse and human side-by-side. Tank's gonna stick on Myron, Scorpion is now working as Zeke's shadow, Kawasaki is shadowing Danny, Chain picked Taylor, Metric is on Ru's tail and you've got Speed and I. Phantom's gonna stay near Johnny's chopper, just in case but we're all hoping that won't be necessary.' Carbon explained, darkening the back of Emily's neck quickly before pulling her into a gentle hug.  
'Thanks guys, I really need your support now.' Emily nodded, closing her eyes for a moment.  
'Okay, let's load them up again!' Zeke called, waving the team back in and onto the birds.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Spotting the camp, Scorpion came up to one knee and readied his second rifle, opening the scope and shuffling over to take up a new position.  
'This is it! Objective in sight, go-go birds hang loose until we tell you to come on in.' Johnny called, bringing the bird in closer.  
'Hold it steady McKay!' Scorpion instructed, bringing up his rifle and sighting on the comms room. Relaxing a little more and trusting his bros to hold him onboard, he sighted on one of the men in the comms room and fired. Swinging his sights, he took out the second man before turning his fire onto the system and taking out the radio and phone. 'Comms are down! Repeat, comms are down!' he called, handing his sniper rifle back so Emily could stash it out of the way as he brought his assault rifle up.

Getting to her knee and nodding, Emily cocked her rifle and got ready for the fight of her life.  
'We touch down, we hit the ground runnin'.' she called, looking around slowly.  
'Like a scalded dog.' Tank drawled, still sticking in tight against Myron's side.  
'Floor it! Let's go! Let's go!' Scorpion called, jumping out and hustling away with Zeke. The rest of the men quickly jumped down and split, heading for their own duty locations and getting to work. Raider broke away from the group and under heavy cover fire set his charge against the perimeter wall. Splat went in the opposite direction, finishing the job Scorpion had started by planting another charge in the comms room and blowing it all to hell.

Moving through the buildings quickly, the massed force took out alarms and locks with ease, spreading out and covering each other in their search for the prisoners. Voices echoed through the darkness as the search continued.  
'We're Americans, this is a rescue!'  
'American rescue force!'  
'This is a rescue, we're American!'

Listening to the gunfire and grenades, Carbon and Speed swapped a look and stuck with Emily as she kept moving through the building, kicking open doors and checking every nook and cranny.  
'Where the hell are they?' she asked, looking back at her friends.  
'This is spooky.' Carbon muttered, grip tightening on his weapon fractionally.

Coming around another corner, Emily shot another gook and hurried over, grabbing him by the collar and yelling at him in fluent Vietnamese.  
'What'd he say?' Speed asked, scanning the area carefully.  
'This gook bastard says they moved the prisoners two days ago. I knew we shouldn't have trusted the fucking CIA. Come on, let's get outta here!' Emily snapped, snapping the enemy's neck before heading for the nearest exit.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Bursting from the buildings, the guys stuck tight and ran like hell back towards the choppers. Ducking and diving, rolling and firing, the guys kept moving and pushing, doing their damnest to keep everyone alive and out of trouble. Jumping onto the chopper, Emily grabbed up the sniper rifle and finishing taking out the search lights, making it just that little bit harder for the enemy.  
'Shoulda done that first Em.' Phantom remarked, still keeping his guard over Johnny.  
'Shut it Phantom and do your job.' Emily hissed, swinging her sights around and nailing another NVA soldier.  
'We gotta go! This bird may not fly!' McKay hollered, looking back at Emily quickly.  
'We gotta wait for Zeke, he's right there!' she replied, laying down covering fire as Zeke and Scorpion bolted for the chopper. Jumping up, Scorpion planted his weight and reached out, grabbing Zeke by the webbing and hauling him aboard as another wave of enemy troops appeared and opened fire.

Lifting off, Johnny kept his touch light and turned the bird for home, grateful to have survived this crazy suicide mission. Emily listened to the gunfire below and moved forward, her gut instincts warning her something was about to go wrong.  
'Aagghh! Ahh! I'm hit! I'm hit! Pete, take the controls!' Johnny cried, gripping his knee as blood soaked his uniform.  
'Revs, give me the cage! Hang in there Johnny, you're gonna be okay.' Emily called, lunging forward and releasing Johnny's harness. Pulling the small contraption from his gear, Revs handed it over and got ready to receive.  
'Make some space.' Tank added, shuffling over and tucking his knees up as Emily fitted the support device around Johnny's knee before pulling him out of the seat.  
'Damnit Em, that hurts! Aagghh, just stop!' Johnny screamed, grabbing Emily's shirt tight.  
'I'm sorry Johnny, I really am. I need you out of the way if we're gonna make it home though.' Emily replied, easing him down and heading back forward. Settling quickly, Emily yanked Johnny's helmet on and buckled in quickly. 'If you wanna see your family again, you'll let me take control of this bird.' she warned, looking at Pete.  
'Do it Pete, she's a damn good pilot.' Johnny groaned, head pillowed in Speed's lap.  
'Okay, you've got control.' Pete nodded, lifting his hands off the controls.  
'Everyone hang on, this is gonna get rough.' Emily nodded, blocking the world out as she pushed the wounded bird to its limits.  
'Just hang in there Johnny, you'll be okay. I'll take care of you, it's going to be fine. You will fly again Johnny, I give you my word.' Revs soothed, releasing the support cage and tucking it back into his kit before getting stuck into patching Johnny up.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Touching down back at base, Emily cut the engine and jumped down, hurrying around to help Revs with Johnny. Supporting him gently in her well muscled arms, Emily turned and walked away from the bird as the rest of the guys started to gather nearby. Decal hesitated for a moment before tearing off to find Hockenbury, aware that he was part of this too.  
'It's time for you to go home Johnny. There's not going to be any army hospitals for you, you're going to get the very best of care.' she uttered, easing down off the landing platform and walking over to where the group was gathering.

Man and mouse stood together, absolutely exhausted but ready for their next journey. Smiling softly, Emily tenderly handed Johnny to Tank and lightly caressed his sweat-soaked hair. Decal soon joined the group, Hockenbury panting for breath as he ran up and joined the team.  
'Three of us are not making the journey tonight. We have unfinished business here in Nam but we'll be home before the week is out. The rest of you, I wish you the very best on your reunion but don't get too caught up in the moment. Take care of the guys until I get there and can take over the responsibilities. Be safe my dear friends, I love you all. Myron and Zeke, it's not our time just yet.' Emily sighed, tears falling silently as she took a step back.  
'No, you can't leave us now Em. This ain't right, we can't leave you here.' Decal protested, stepping forward.  
'It's not our call Decal, we are bound by rules we don't even know. We'll only be a few days behind you, long enough for you to settle into your routine and get everyone comfortable.' Emily sighed, taking Zeke and Myron by the hand.  
'Thank you Emily, for everything.' Johnny called, arms wrapped lightly around Tank's neck.  
'See you on the other side guys.' Zeke grinned, allowing Emily to lead him back a bit further.  
'See you later everyone.' Myron added, struggling with his emotions.

The world stopped for a moment as the two groups stared at each other before a soft light came into being above the departing group. Pulsing with life and expanding out, the light drifted down and surrounded the larger group until they were all glowing and relaxed. Then the light slowly faded away, leaving nothing but boot prints and blood on the ground.  
'Be safe my treasured friends, we'll be reunited soon.' Emily whispered, tears falling freely as she turned and walked away, Myron and Zeke in casual step beside her.


	27. The Final Reunion

Head snapping up, Falcon whipped around and stared at the security screen behind him.  
'They're home! Nineteen familiar signals and five more new ones!' he roared, already on the move.  
'What about Emily?' Rusty asked, heart in his throat.  
'She had some unfinished business back in Nam. Don't worry; she's still got Zeke and Myron with her. She also promised to be home before the week is out.' Tank replied, jogging smoothly down the corridor, Johnny McKay still held tenderly in his mighty arms.  
'Braidy!' Emission hollered, sprinting down the corridor.  
'Oh god, Emmi!' Braidy replied, slipping out of the rec room and charging. They collided heavily, hands groping and mouths locked together.  
'And I thought he was half kidding.' Danny muttered, moving around the group and looking around in amazement.  
'Guys!' Johnson called, emerging from another room just down the corridor.  
'Johnson!' Taylor replied, bolting down the corridor.  
'Hey, what about the rest of us?' Randy asked, walking over to the guys with Roger and Scott.  
'Damn it's good to see you guys again.' Ruiz grinned, throwing his arms around Scott's shoulders.  
'Welcome home guys, it's great to have you back.' Rusty called, walking over to them.  
'Captain Wallace.' Danny grinned, turning and ripping off a salute out of habit.  
'Chill Danny, we're all civvies now. It's Rusty Wallace, no more ranks to hide behind.' Rusty chuckled, glancing at Tank and the wounded man in his arms.  
'Let's get you down and settled Johnny, Revs will want to check you over before you do anything.' Tank nodded, slipping into the rec room. Dropping to his knees, Falcon wrapped Decal up in his massive arms and stood, tears flowing freely as he gazed at his little angel.  
'Don't you ever leave me again babe. I love you so much.' Decal nodded, wrapping his arms around Falcon's neck and sealing their mouths together.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Finally settling down a bit more, the reunited family returned to the rec room and got comfortable, stretching out on couches and curling up in armchairs together. Some of the guys set up the pool tables and started playing, the soft clicking soon filling the air.  
'So you must be Johnny McKay, it's nice to meet you in person at last.' Rusty grinned, grabbing out a round of beers and handing them around.  
'And you must be the special man to have caught Emily's attentions. You are one lucky man, Emily is an amazing woman.' Johnny grinned, taking the offered beer and shaking Rusty's hand.  
'She saved my life and my sanity. Did she ever tell you about our last mission together?' Rusty nodded, perching on the arm of the couch.  
'No, I don't think she did.' Johnny replied, sitting up a little more.  
'We were in the Bin Kay valley, chasing dinks out of their bunker. I had a hell of a day, stepped on a punji, shot in the shoulder and another bullet in the side. Well Emily stepped up and ordered Tank and Sidewinder to get my butt down the hill while she and Zeke stayed to finish the job. Emily ended up carrying Zeke back to where we were holed up since he got shot in the leg. She goes back up the hill with a flamethrower and deals with the bunker then comes back and hauls me to the LZ. It's only when we're all waiting for the choppers that Shard noticed Emily had actually been shot. She had a nasty looking bullet wound just above her boot but didn't even feel it until that moment.' Rusty recalled; a fond smile on his face at the memory.  
'Yep, sounds like Emily alright. When I got shot, she yanked me out of the seat and handed me off to Revs before taking the controls of my bird and flying us home safely.' Johnny replied, tapping his bottle against Rusty's lightly.  
'Wonder what the unfinished business in Nam was.' Kawasaki sighed, curled up around Hammer comfortably.  
'We'll find out when they get home I suppose.' Killer shrugged, not lifting his head from Magura's left shoulder.  
'It'll be nice to go back to catering for everyone. I've missed the rush of getting all that food ready and knowing I wouldn't have to worry about putting much away.' Christine added, safely enfolded in Braid's arms.  
'Just remember Chris, you've got thirteen extra mouths to feed now.' Blade nodded, happy to sit and watch his strange family relaxed and together.  
'No biggie, I can adjust. I've already updated my menus to make sure I include something suitable for Myron at every meal. Oh, for those who've only just arrived, let me know if you've got any special dietary requirements or just plain don't like something. I'm not one to let anyone leave my mess hall unsatisfied.' Christine replied, looking around the group slowly.  
'I still can't believe the army never made allowances for Myron, it just ain't right.' Slash sighed, getting as comfortable as he could on the couch with Bonfire lying atop him.  
'Now do you get what I was trying to explain about the differences in the Martian military and the earth army Johnny?' Revs asked, putting his feet up and digging out his cigarettes.  
'Yeah, I get it now Revs. It's different but different is good.' Johnny nodded, sipping his beer contentedly.  
'When did you take up that filthy habit Revs?' Shift asked, staring at Revs from the safety of Cosmo's embrace.  
'Somewhere between Tan Son Nhut and Camp Barnett. You can give me all the disapproving looks you want Shift, it's my choice…besides, I outrank you.' Revs shrugged, his tone light and teasing as he relaxed.  
'It's your call, I was just curious.' Shift grinned, snuggling back happily.

Getting to his feet, Tank finished his drink and headed for the door then paused and turned back to the team.  
'Hey Revs, is Johnny clear for a little outing?' he asked, a faint grin crossing his features.  
'Yeah, the internal damage has healed. The scar looks fresh but the x-rays are all clear. What are you thinking Tank?' Revs nodded, getting up and butting his cigarette out in one of the many new ashtrays scattered around the room.  
'I was thinking of heading out with Darlin' and showing Johnny the sights.' Tank nodded, walking over to the display shelf and grabbing Johnny's helmet down.  
'Oh, now that sounds like fun. What'd you say Francis, wanna take a spin?' Revs grinned, turning to the long haired medic.  
'Go on Doc, it's quite the experience. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.' Johnson added, thinking of his first ride through the Chicago streets.  
'Why do I get the feeling this is just the start of the new experiences?' Hockenbury muttered, getting to his feet and following Revs out of the room.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Retuning to the rec room a couple hours later, Johnny sunk down and put his feet up, the happiest grin on his face.  
'I take it you enjoyed that one Johnny.' Rusty chuckled, leaning on the back of Johnny's couch.  
'Oh yeah, it's as close to flying as I'm gonna get for a long time.' Johnny replied, a faint note of sadness in his voice.  
'So what happens now?' Danny asked, siting up so Hockenbury could crash onto the couch.  
'It all still depends on Emily. We can only do so much, for the rest you'll just have to be patient. It's not like we can take you out to buy a car. We can get on the net and buy clothes and other stuff but you're gonna have to wait for Emily to get back and set up new credit cards for ya'll.' Odd Ball shrugged, still trying to understand all the changes the team had gone through during their adventure.  
'I can wait five days but what I really want right now is a hot shower and a change of clothes.' Marcus replied, looking down at his black clothes.  
'I checked and all the rooms are open and your gear is already put away. Come on, I'll show you to your new accommodation and then to the showers.' Randy offered, rolling to his feet and heading for the door, old friends and new getting up and following him away.

#$~$#@#$~$#

The days ticked by slowly as the team waited for the last three members to finally make the journey home. They spent their time getting things ready and tidying the base up a bit more like they always did when Emily called to let them know she was heading home. One wall of the rec room had been stripped down and turned into a memorial window, a special place to put the reminders of a different time and place. Everyone had their own place to put their items and proudly displayed their ranks, unit insignia and medals for all to see and admire. Everyone had their own smaller pane within the larger window and right in the middle was a large clear area for the trophies Emily would invariably bring home and display proudly.  
'So many memories, good and bad. A lifetime summed up in bright colours and shining metal.' Rusty sighed, locking up his pane and slipping the key onto his dogtags chain.  
'Each one paid for with blood and sweat.' Blade nodded, lifting the old field radio up onto its shelf and securing it there.  
'I'm kinda glad we're not going back to Mars. No one back home is going to understand about this or even really care.' Slash remarked, proudly putting his Lieutenant insignia up on the wall.  
'I'm not complaining about living out my days here. Mars is dying and there's nothing that can be done to save her now. Those who still fight for her are fools, all they'll be left with is a barren rock that can't support life.' Bandit agreed, disappointed he had nothing to add to the memorial window.  
'Package for Bandit and Torque, it's from Emily.' Braidy called, carrying the box into the room and handing it over.

Opening it carefully, Bandit and Torque looked at the carefully wrapped items before digging out the letter buried under the items.  
'I'm sorry you two couldn't join us on this adventure, you would have enjoyed it a lot. I might not be able to grant you a rank and a place in the story but I can ask you to put these items up in a place of honour on base. I've got a feeling something has already been started and I believe these bloodied items belong on the wall as a sign of all we risked and those we nearly lost. I know you'll pick a place that will make me proud. Much love to all, Emily.' Torque read, lifting out one of the items. Tucking the letter in his pocket, he unwrapped the item and unfolded it before holding it up.  
'Hey, that's my shirt.' Roger called, looking at the old blood stain in amazement.  
'And that one's mine.' Randy added, gaze falling no the second shirt.  
'Emily, you are one strange woman. Who has the central key?' Bandit grinned, walking over to the memorial window.  
'I've got it.' Blade replied, walking over and unlocking the large central pane.

Stretching up a little, Bandit carefully pinned Randy's shirt to the soft backing material and smoothed it out carefully so the bloodstain could be clearly seen.  
'What else is in the box?' Johnny asked, thinking about the bloodstained flight suit he still had.  
'Another shirt, a boot and…I'm not sure what this is meant to be.' Torque shrugged, handing the third shirt to Bandit and holding up the smaller piece of cloth, boot tucked under one arm.  
'I think you'll find that's Zeke's pant leg, Emily pocketed it after he got shot.' Randy replied, slightly disturbed by Emily's trophies.  
'And why she kept my boot, I'll never know.' Rusty chuckled, taking the boot from Torque and turning it over, looking at the hole punched right through.  
'There's another note too.' Braidy grinned, picking up the fallen sheet of paper and unfolding it. 'I almost forgot, make sure to add Johnny's last flight suit too. You may have to cut it down like I did with Zeke's pants but you'll make it work.' he read, turning to the pilot.  
'Yeah, I've still got it. Something told me Emily would want it for something. I'll go grab it.' Johnny sighed, getting up and heading for his quarters.

Reorganising the four cloth trophies, Bandit and Torque made space for the flight suit, not wanting to cut it down unless they absolutely had to.  
'Emily, you are full of surprises. Trophies I expected, but not this.' Bandit uttered, taking the boot and setting it up on one of the shelves, angling and supporting it so everyone could see the hole punched through it.  
'Reckon she'll like what we've done?' Torque asked, adjusting Rusty's shirt so the nametag could be read clearly.  
'I reckon she'll be real proud of this one. Her other trophies and things aren't as special as this collection and never will be.' Bandit nodded, catching the flight suit and hanging it up in the middle of the central pane, folding it up in a couple places so it fitted properly.

#$~$#@#$~$#

Sinking into the steaming tub, Johnny sighed and closed his eyes, revelling in the warmth as it soothed tired and aching muscles. Everyone was in the shower room, scrubbing up and getting ready for bed.  
'Well, another day done and still no Emily. She's running out of time.' Slash sighed, carefully cleaning around all his earrings before turning his focus to his long hair.  
'She's still got two days left. Be patient Slash, we'll see our missing friends again.' Francis replied, enjoying the hot shower and not caring about the lack of privacy.

No one heard the shower room door opening and closing again. They couldn't pick up the sound of approaching feet among the splashing water and relaxed conversations.  
'It's my Bare Assed Brigade!' Emily hollered, coming around the corner and looking around.  
'Emily!' the guys chorused, turning to look as she appeared through the steam.  
'Oh my god, Emily!' Rusty grinned, bolting from his place and running over to her.  
'Rusty, my beloved Rusty.' Emily beamed, throwing her arms around his soapy body and holding tight, everything else forgotten now that she was home.  
'Hey, what about us? Don't we count?' Zeke asked, coming around the corner with Myron.  
'Hey Myron, good to see you again.' Johnny grinned, sitting up and shaking the water out of his eyes quickly.  
'You too Johnny, you too. Oh, those tubs look so inviting.' Myron replied, eyeing the empty tub at the end of the line.  
'Well jump on in…unless you're too shy.' Emily teased, stripping off her dress uniform and laying it on one of the benches before Rusty yanked her under the shower.  
'After a year in Nam, hell no.' Myron shot back, stripping off and diving into the last tub.  
'If there's no tubs left, you'll just have to share with someone else Zeke. There's plenty of room, they're designed to take three people each.' Revs called, eyes rolling back as Randy scrubbed his back and got all the accumulated dirt out.  
'Shove over LT.' Zeke nodded, kicking off his skivvies and striding towards the tub.  
'Oh come on, why me?' Myron protested, blushing faintly and shuffling over.  
'It's you or McKay…enough said.' Zeke shrugged, glancing over his shoulder.  
'Wow, nice ass.' Sidewinder called, letting out an appreciative whistle.  
'Wha…ack.' Myron yelped, gaze snapping up then down again as he copped an eyeful of Zeke's manhood.  
'Alright guys, that's enough shit stirring. Breathe Myron, breathe. It's just Zeke, you've seen a lot worse.' Emily sighed, unable to resist teasing Zeke.  
'I am never going to get used to this.' Myron uttered, face a deep red.  
'And I thought I was beyond this.' Zeke added, trying to hide an equally bright blush.  
'Looks like we're gonna have to do more bathroom renovations. I don't know how much more I can fit in this room.' Emily sighed, looking around and trying to figure out where she could squeeze in a few more showers and a couple extra tubs.  
'We'll make it work Em. It's just a case of everyone relaxing and adapting to the close quarters and lack of privacy.' Blade shrugged, relaxed and content.  
'Might…ohhh, right there babe, that's the spot.' Emily groaned, knees going weak as Rusty rubbed her shoulders and back.  
'I love you Emily, you and no other.' Rusty uttered, pressing up against Emily's back and holding her close.  
'Love you too Rusty. No one else will come before you in my heart.' Emily replied, nuzzling his cheek happily.


End file.
